Your Burning, Beautiful Light
by Ordinn Beaucephalis
Summary: "Who makes you moan? Who makes you scream in pleasure and joy? I. Fucking. Do. What's mine is mine and sharing isn't an option I'd even have the idiocy to consider." OOC!Juvia.
1. No Droplets Today?

**Summary:** _"_ _Who makes you moan? Who makes you scream in pleasure and joy? I. Fucking. Do._ _What's mine is mine and sharing isn't an option_ _I'd even_ _have the idiocy to consider."_

 _After the Grand Magic Games, Juvia_ _Lockser_ _took time to reflect on her life – including Gray Fullbuster. Something she wouldn't have done on her own since she was always caught up in her fantasy._ _It hurt like a bitch to realize that a one-sided love would never be returned, it truly did. And moving on was even harder to do. But still, Juvia swore to do so._ _Somehow, there's a way for everything._

 **Genre:** _Drama/Friendship._

 **Disclaimer:** To say that Fairy Tail belongs to me is pure fantasy. Hiro Mashima remains the creator and has all the rights.

 **/!\ Warning: This fan-fiction has tons of smut and I won't tell when and where you'll read them in those chapters. I'm unpredictable, huh! Minors have been warned and if you're caught off guard...remember that this fan-fiction is rated M. Read the summary carefully before launching yourself on this story.**

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Your B **u** r **n** i **n** g, **B** e **a** u **t** i **f** u **l** _Light_

 **Chapter One:** _No Droplets Today?_

* * *

Sting Eucliffe used to loathe rain. He had always thought it as depressing and dull, without any real beauty. And while it was refreshing during particularly hot summers, it would always annoy the hell out of him and ruin the mood for the rest of the day. Lector would snicker in amusement whenever his human companion would complain loudly about getting soaked for nothing during certain missions, something that always managed to render Rogue severely pissed off and irritated – Frosch would ask in a purely innocent voice why Sting was so worked up, to which Lector would answer with difficulty due to his laughter. Fortunately during the Grand Magic Games, it hadn't rained one single bit (mainly because the weather had been favorable during the battles. Ah, that had been _great_ fighting both Natsu and Gajeel!) and everything had been an incredible rollercoaster from the beginning to the end, from the sudden Eclipse and the dragons to the banquet during which Sabertooth and Fairy Tail had come to terms. No rain meant good things.

Somehow, this changed. If he were to be honest, Sting couldn't quite know when his disdain for rain had vanished because there had been a lot of things going on lately; the days following the end of the Grand Magic Games had been pretty hectic since Sabertooth had had important changes to bring within their guild and the way they treated their members. To say that Natsu Dragneel was the factor that disrupted everything was an understatement – the Dragon Slayer from Fairy Tail had disrupted _everyone_ in the guild when he came to avenge Yukino's humiliation (Minerva and her bastard of a father being the only exceptions and Sting had been immensely glad when the former disappeared after Sabertooth had lost against Fairy Tail, Jienma being dead. Lector's life had depended on them.) and, despite Sabertooth's loss at the end of the Games, Sting had begun to understand Natsu's words. He had even experienced the wonderful feeling of fighting alongside those who knew the true meaning of strength. But what truly made his life a little bit more exciting on some other level was the Water Mage from Fairy Tail.

His blue eyes left the window to drift onto the naked, asleep woman on his right and he smirked cockily. After discovering that her magical powers affected the weather – something that both he and Lector secretly found quite impressive – Sting had decided to approach the mage. She had been fawning over Gray Fullbuster like a lovesick fan-girl, praising all his 'coolness' or whatever the hell she was spouting, but the Ice mage hadn't seemed to care. Funny, if you asked Sting. If not a little bit pitying. But her determination to get his attention had impressed him. But what had driven them to actually enjoy each other's company and sleep together? Sting Eucliffe and Juvia Lockser themselves didn't know. Did they have to care about that concept?

Because Sting certainly didn't.

To say that he had been pleasantly delighted to discover what Juvia was hiding behind her clothing was a pitiful understatement. That woman certainly was one of the hottest chicks he had ever met and the way she had been riding him earlier with this lustful gaze in her blue eyes was sinful. In a very, damn positive way he couldn't describe. She had been shy during their very first time but _damn_ , she had been delicious as hell. And the noises he could draw from her – Sting unconsciously licked his lips as he stared unabashedly at her huge and voluptuous breasts, recalling all the dirty things they had done to each other – were amazing, something that was quite contrasting to the first impression he'd had from her on their first meeting. Juvia Lockser was quite the little minx in bed!

Sex-friends. From friends to sex-friends without attach. That was a reasonable deal as long as the rain woman didn't go after someone else – like this frosted stripper. Sting Eucliffe had always been possessive and was proud to claim it out loud. The asleep sex-kitten over here was a gem he would like to polish every fucking time they would get together. He had had a taste of her hardened loyalty toward Gray Fullbuster and Fairy Tail but, like Sting Eucliffe would always say, he didn't give a damn about that. Sex was sex and if he chose Juvia to be his sex-friend, that certainly didn't concern anybody else. _To hell with all the 'drama' it could cause, it_ _'s_ _just a bit of fucking and they both absolutely didn't mind it_.

Juvia stirred from her sleep, frowning and diving deeper into her pillow. Sting smirked cheekily as his hands ghosted her body and lips nipped at her slender neck. That earned him a soft gasp and her eyes finally fluttered open, revealing sleepy yet slightly startled blue orbs.

The bluenette blinked twice. "Juvia thought you had already gone home, Sting-san," she murmured, trembling under his ministrations. Not that she didn't like his presence but it surprised her to find him still with her in bed after each smoking hot tryst, Sting would always leave before she wakes up and the remnants of their time would be her weakened legs and the incapacity of walking straight – which really intrigued both Lucy and Erza.

The blonde sniggered. "Heh. Don't wanna," he simply shrugged as his teeth bit the flesh of her neck, earning him a sigh of pleasure. Soon his body hardened and he quickly came on top of the mage, her splendid legs on each side of his well-built frame. He smirked down widely at her blushing face and widened eyes, now fully awake. "What's the matter, babe? Afraid we'll get caught by your friends? Now that would be interesting, I'd like to see Gajeel's face if I told him that –"

" _Hush_!" Her hand had flown to his mouth, silencing whatever lewd comment he was about to say. Juvia looked affronted, but amused as well. And aroused. "Do you have a death wish? Gajeel-kun may be Juvia's best friend but he tends to be quite... _overprotective_ sometimes and his wrath is quite impressive."

And that was a much obvious fact about Gajeel Redfox and Juvia Lockser. Sting had wondered about their relationship since they used to be in the same guild before Fairy Tail; Phantom Lord had always been Fairy Tail's sworn enemy years ago and while he hadn't been there to witness the huge battle between the two guilds, the blonde Dragon Slayer had heard of it. But what had intrigued him was the very apparent friendship between Juvia and Gajeel: the two of them were polar opposites, didn't match and yet they seemed so close. Sure, they had been arguing when Sting was watching them from afar but he couldn't sense any anger coming off from them. No, not anger. Amusement, joy and mutual respect. _Friendship_. True, beautiful _friendship_.

Amused to no end, Sting stuck his tongue out to lick the pale fingers blocking his mouth. The blue-haired woman faltered, almost melting at the enticing and sexy sight of her lover doing this to her. It sent very pleasant shivers through her body and she was also starting to feel quite hot in a certain part of her, something that made her moan since he started to grind slowly against her. He leaned down, without breaking contact, and slammed his hands on each side of Juvia's head. Their faces now stood only inches apart, the obstacle between a smoking hot kiss now caressing his lips sensuously, and the staring match only served to create much more heat between them.

 _'You started it, water woman,'_ Sting's eyes were saying, his teeth now biting into her flesh playfully.

 _'Denying has become a part of you, white dragon,'_ hers retorted, her smile a bit sly.

"Maybe it's you driving me crazy," he murmured quietly, his hands taking hers. He intertwined their fingers, then hooked them above them onto the pillow. He slowly licked her lips, tasting her. "Your legs around me, your jugs against my chest..." Juvia's eyes closed in ecstasy as she mewled in pleasure from Sting's nips and kisses on her flushed face and neck. There would be marks all over her, damn it! But _hell_... she loved hearing him growl when she grounded her wide hips against his. "Oh, _fuck this_!"

Sting was so quick to flip her over that Juvia only saw white but she suddenly found herself on all fours, her elbows catching her fall onto the soft mattress. She didn't have the time to beg for him because the blonde all but brutally slid inside, making the mage squeal and jerk in ecstasy. He grunted his pleasure, feeling Juvia's hot pussy take his large cock. It was delicious, _so delicious_...

" _Damn_ ," Sting groaned as he fell into a brutal, yet insanely sensuous rhythm. His hands held her hips firmly in place while he pounded in her like a hungry beast, untamed and wild – exactly how they both liked it. He knew he was aggressive and that had been a problem at first (at first, only.) because Juvia had been an inexperienced virgin at that time, but he couldn't help it: now she was asking, begging for it. Screaming in name. Driving him crazy with lust and desire. He had turned Juvia Locsker into a lustful vixen and Sting Eucliffe was very proud of that fact!

Her giant breasts bounced at each thrust – an exciting sight that never ceased to turn him on. And the bed rocked with them, hitting the wall quite strongly but since her neighbours and friends had already left to the guild, Juvia didn't bother quiet down her screams; the last thing she and Sting needed was a cockblocker to ruin the sexual tension between the two lovers, and she knew that one of them would actually try to kill the unfortunate person to interrupt them in the midst of their fucking.

"Mmmh... Aaah, J-juvia is such a bad girl!" she moaned, an ecstatic smile stretching her plump lips.

A deep, very masculine chuckle sounded in her right ear. "How right you are, babe," he purred lewdly before he nipped at her ear, grabbing her breasts in his warm hands to fondle them and picking up the pace.

They could do this all night long. Oh yes, they _could_.

* * *

"Say, Juvia," Lucy wondered with a smile as she sat besides the blue-haired water mage. "Where were you this morning? You missed quite a lot... or could it be..." A wide, amused grin adorned the Celestial Mage's lips. "...that you overslept because you were dreaming about a certain someone?"

Ah, teasing question. Juvia's heart would usually do somersaults upon talking and thinking about her 'Gray-sama' and she would blush like crazy, unable to stop the flooding thoughts entering her brain and messing with her reason. Cana and Mirajane would openly laugh at her enthusiasm, while Erza would resort to light chuckles. A fine creepy stalker she had been for all these years, always chasing after Gray and determined to get his attention. That was the Juvia Lockser everyone knew in Fairy Tail, the one who was always by his side.

 _Had been_ , she mentally told herself as she proceeded to answer Lucy's questioning stare. Something had changed her habits and while she had been reluctant at first, she now welcomed it with open arms, a lustful gaze and a sexy smirk reserved to one blonde Dragon Slayer from another guild. She gave Lucy a knowing yet mysterious smile, which looked rather weird and unusual on her face. "Juvia did, dear love rival," Juvia said in her soothing voice. "Juvia's alarm didn't wake her up so she kept sleeping... and she's still so tired." As if to prove that fact she yawned quite cutely, making Cana laugh her head off in amusement.

She was telling the truth. In a way. She did manage to sleep after tons of sex with Sting, who had snickered in cocky mirth between two groans of pleasure and banging her from behind – but three to four hours of sleep truly wasn't enough and Juvia was actually amazed that she still had the energy to get up (her legs had quivered a lot and it had taken her all her might to let Sting leave. And she wouldn't have been able to completely walk straight to the guild if she hadn't practiced her legs in her apartment for a while before heading toward Fairy Tail. That white dragon really did a number on her!). Juvia was a little bit tired but the perspective of going for a job was appealing – in fact, if she wanted to remain in her warm and cozy apartment, she needed the money to pay the rent. So a job was in order.

She was about to get up and head towards the cardboard when she noticed Erza's thoughtful stare on her. The beautiful red-haired knight looked serious, all traces of amusement and playfulness gone from her face as she kept staring intently at Juvia's face. Now Juvia had always admired Titania Erza Scarlet because of her prowess and strength, being one of the most powerful mages of their guild. She was a woman you wouldn't want to deal with once angered and Juvia still remembered how she easily vanquished her and Lisanna on Tenrouu Island. That had been terrifying, yet very instructing. Erza Scarlet had taught Juvia something very important about strength that day on the island, a lesson she had started to treasure every day ever since she reflected on her feelings towards Gray Fullbuster. Juvia did her best not to show any concern as she reached out to Erza because really, there was no way the woman could have noticed that her behaviour seemed –

"Erza-san, is something wrong?" the water mage inquired.

The red-haired knight pursed her lips, putting her spoon down near her strawberry cake. "Hm," she nodded. "Juvia, are you feeling well?" she asked more seriously.

She blinked. "Of course. Juvia just feels a little bit tired, is all." And this question was so seriously asked that Juvia couldn't help but feel pretty suspicious. You never knew with Erza, the woman was very sharp when it came to noticing things. "Do you think Juvia has...changed?"

Erza's eyes glanced behind the Water Mage's back and Juvia, curious but already knowing whom she may be referencing to, followed her lead. Natsu and Gray were brawling again, throwing insults at each other, as usual. As usual. But what was unusual was the fact that a certain blue-haired woman wasn't fretting all over him, afraid that he would get hurt and ready to tend to his bruises. That was the first change some of her friends had started to notice after a while, because they hadn't heard Gray complaining or snapping at Juvia for several days – or had it been _weeks_?

Yes, the Juvia they all knew would have already flown to Gray's side, begging him not to fight and get hurt, yet this one remained sat on her chair, a strange solemn look in her eyes. Lucy and Cana, who had been following the exchange closely, were now gazing at their blue-haired friend and the ice mage back and forth with furrowed eyebrows that stated their surprise. The fact that she seemed so calm and aloof near Gray was...unsettling. _Almost_. While there was this solemn look in her blue orbs, Erza could sense some melancholia coming off from the woman; it wasn't this longing, caring look that everyone used to see in her eyes but rather a look of shocking indifference mixed with a tinge of sadness. The blonde started, brown eyes widening in sudden realization.

"J-juvia...are you...?"

A deep sigh from the rain woman, who closed her eyes as she turned away from the brawling idiots. "Juvia did. And she already cried a lot when she finally came to terms that her 'love' would always be one-sided, no matter how much she tried to show him – the storm that hit Magnolia these few weeks ago was because of her, Juvia is so sorry." She took her cup of hot chocolate, relishing in the warmth that emanated from the steaming mug. There was a tiny, barely noticeable smile on her plump lips that made Cana reach out to her, saddened for her friend. "Juvia is still struggling but... but the hardest moment is behind her, now remain the tiny bits of deep affection for Gray."

Erza's eyes softened considerably. She quickly grasped the predicament here: while she had asked Gray to sort out his feelings towards Juvia at the Grand Magic Games, she had been oblivious to her friend's quiet and deep suffering due to her love interest's lack of recognition. As supportive as she had been, there were limits that you shouldn't push past and Juvia seemed to have reached hers concerning Gray. Erza had to give her credit for being such a stubborn and determined woman to get the attention of the man she loved, it was admirable. Now she knew it would never be the same thing with Jellal, although he reciprocated her feelings towards him, but his reasons for refusing to be involved with her were crap (he just felt that he didn't deserve her love after all the horrible things he had done to her, even though he'd been under Ultear's spell all these years. It wouldn't be right to him.). The difference with Juvia and Gray was that Jellal truly reciprocated her love – it was _real_ and no fantasy she had imagined. As for Juvia...

Oh, she must have felt so _crushed_. And she had decided to move on with her life, knowing that she would only get hurt. The red-haired knight felt deeply moved, just like Cana and Lucy who were currently trying to reassure the water mage.

"Hey, don't say that," the blonde soothed, a hand on Juvia's shoulder. "We can't say for sure that Gray has feelings for you but we all know that he cares about you." She smiled confidently at the bluenette. "C'mon, don't lose hope, that's not Fairy Tail like!"

The already wasted brown-haired mage nodded eagerly, a smirk on her lips. "Yeah, I'd hate to have to beg you to keep bugging and stalking him, it's funny seeing him so frustrated. I've been wondering if he's got balls big enough to –"

"Cana, mind your language!" Erza scolded, frowning.

But Juvia remained frighteningly firm and blank, save for the smile on her face. She had heard this so many times that she didn't need to listen to the words, as comforting as they may be. _Because it wasn't going to work this time,_ _there was no denying this_. She closed her dark blue eyes as she contemplated explaining Lucy and Cana that hoping wouldn't do any good to her, also hesitant to tell them that she had somehow found a way to distract herself and think about something else – because there would be hell to come if the two were to show their surprise by screeching in the middle of the entire guild.

 _She lay on her back, eyes almost closed in a well-deserved bliss after the tryst with Sting and attempting to regain her breathing. Her long, sea-coloured hair was a mess, but a cute mess around her head. Her chest heaved and pushed her very generous breasts up and down – a deliciously enticing sight for the blonde Dragon Slayer who was watching the woman brazenly, a lazy and proud smirk stretching on his face. When she took a chance to look at him, she was immediately caught by his eyes. The intense, breath-taking look he was giving her didn't do nothing to hide the satisfaction he was feeling – after all, he did make her scream his name. He was breathing heavily as well, trying to recover from his violent orgasm on his own. His golden hair was dishevelled from all the brutal movements and shuffling around the whole room – which was now a complete mess because they had been shifting places and switching positions (the image of Juvia's curvaceous, voluptuous body writhing on top of him and riding his girth suddenly popped in his mind and he didn't bother stifling his groan of pleasure when the sultry look in her eyes flashed at him, provoking him to ravage her.) – and his well-built body was covered in sweat, his muscles rippling at each panting breath he took._

 _When she spoke, her voice was clear despite the exhaustion. "Juvia can't believe... she would last three rounds and endure... Sting-san's stamina..." She smiled slowly, feeling ecstatic. Her tongue peeked out to lick her plump, bruised lips from the harsh kissing, which had an effect on the blonde who crept closer to her to her, fingers already twitching to ravage this sexy body. "Juvia is impressed."_

 _Sting's smirk widened as he watched her with cockiness. "Think this is over? I'm just getting started," he growled huskily as he leaned down towards her, hands already snaking around her large breasts._

Juvia grinned somberly and shook her head. "No."

"W-what do you mean?" Lucy stammered. "You're not going to think about it, not even a little?"

The water mage chuckled half-heartedly. The bubbly blonde sure was funny sometimes. "Dear love rival – _no_." It seemed wrong now to refer to Lucy Heartfilia as her 'love rival' since she had started her therapy. Her one-sided love had blinded Juvia into believing that the blonde Celestial Mage was secretly involved with Gray Fullbuster – although they both kept denying this ridiculous fact. She had unconsciously endangered what could – _should_ – have been a beautiful friendship from the very start. So the most normal, friendly thing to do was to call her by her actual name. With a smile. "Lucy."

The blonde had the reaction Juvia was expecting: she fell from her chair, landing on her butt. And the bluenette couldn't help but erupt in soft peals of laughter as she tried to stand from her seat to look at the stunned face of her friend, whose bulged brown eyes showed how much she was shocked to hear her name coming out from Juvia's mouth – _Juvia_ , freaking _Juvia Lockser_ who would always glower at her and spit threats if she ever monopolized Gray's attention. And the blue-haired mage was laughing and smiling amusedly at her, which also managed to startle Erza and the drunken Cana.

She stuck her hand out to Lucy. "Juvia knows now she has to put friendship above everything else, thanks to you all," she managed to choke out between two giggles.

The blonde grabbed the hand, still mildly shocked, but blushed upon registering Juvia's next words of praise and thanks. "Um – oh, it's..." The change was so sudden and surprising that forming setences seemed quite the challenge now. But Lucy somehow managed to shake herself out of her state and smiled widely at Juvia, beaming. "I'm glad you consider me as your friend now, Juvia! And you even said my name," she finished with a whisper, amazed."

Juvia's smile was so sincere – very sincere and happy. Both Erza and Cana could tell.

 _Looks like things are going in another way for Juvia_ , the red-haired knight thought to herself, a smile tugging at her lips. Maybe it was for the best. Best for her, best for her spirit – best for her heart and inner strenght. Friendship always came first above all and looking at Juvia's beaming and infectious smile and laughter, you wouldn't think that she had been crying and wallowing in despair and painful realization in order to move on on her own will; Erza wasn't an expert concerning love but she was aware that it hurt when you get rejected. It hurt like a bitch. That must have been how Juvia must have felt during her self-therapy.

But nonetheless, Erza Scarlet will make sure to support Juvia Lockser from now on. _And thus a true and real friendship was finally born and recognized between them_ , she snorted in silent triumph, feeling proud and satisfied.

After this talk and much needed laughter among girls, Juvia sauntered towards the cardboard to get a job. She gazed at the papers, analyzing the details and tasks – especially the rewards. A good reward would be very much appreciated if it could relieve her from worrying about the rent for at least three to four months. It would also be a very good opportunity to test out the results of her training; taking all out on some thugs always proved to be good for her health and system. Maybe she should get Gajeel on her mission, it had been a long time since the two of them got together like this.

Her eyes suddenly caught something interesting and she stood on her toes to grab the piece of paper when a quicker hand snatched it. Juvia gasped, whirling to face the culprit who just stole her next win with a fierce glare. She was rewarded with a sly, toothy grin she knew all too well.

"Gihihi, someone is feeling a bit daring today," Gajeel playfully taunted, his red eyes surveying a huffing Juvia whose dark blue eyes were turning into dangerous slits. He then held the paper high in the air while trying to hold his best friend back off with his other hand on her smooth hair. The man whistled. "Nicy jackpot, Rain woman. I'll tag along with you on this one!"

"Who invited you?" Juvia shot back, still trying to snatch her precious paper back from the Iron Dragon Slayer. "Because Juvia certainly didn't! And give that back, will you? Juvia wants to pay her rent for the next four months at least and relax." When she missed the paper by an inch she growled, scowling. "Gajeel, Juvia is warning you!" she exclaimed.

But he only laughed at her. "C'mon, don't be a party – hey, _what the hell_ –"

Gajeel must have forgotten about his friend's prowess at gymnastics and agility; Juvia hopped nimbly onto his shoulder, swung one bare leg around the older male's left shoulder and quickly tightened the other around his neck, effectively trapping him in her snake embrace. Gajeel grunted both in surprise and annoyance as he tried to balance himself on his feet with his friend having snaked her way on him. While Juvia was as light as a mere bag of clothes for him, she still could be incredibly sneaky and that played well in her favor most of the time when she didn't use her magic. Hand-to-hand combat was one of the deceptive tricks Juvia Lockser had up her sleeve and the Iron Dragon Slayer sometimes managed to forget that, under her craziness about the stripper bastard, she was an excellent mage who could become even more awesome.

They were attracting amused looks and laughs from most of everyone in the hall, something that irritated Gajeel in one second. He had to end this quickly. "Get off, Rain woman!" he barked, attempting to throw her off. But she only tightened her hold onto him, gripping his shoulder and arm to snatch her next gift. " _Get_. _The fuck_. _Off_!"

" _Give_. _Juvia's_. _Job_. _Request. Back_!" Juvia growled, thinking about biting Gajeel.

"I'm warning you, Juvia!"

Her blue eyes flashed dangerously as she glared down at him. "Job request, _now_!" she insisted. Then she beamed at her friend. "And you may come on this job with Juvia and get half of the reward. It would be great if you and Juvia get to work again as a team. As best friends. Don't you think so, Gajeel-kun?"

Damn. _Damn_. How does she do that? She always managed to get under his skin without even having to insist and snake her way through his heart. Gajeel stopped struggling and growled at her, which only made her laugh jovially. It was an agreement. This woman was as dangerous as she was annoying at times – especially when she affected the weather with her tears. But she was his friend. His very first best friend who had wormed her way to his heart and soul years after Metallicana's disappearance, he also considered Juvia Lockser as his sister.

 _You look well, Rain woman_ , the man couldn't help but remark silently, a tiny smile tugging at his lips as he watched the Water mage hop off and land gracefully on the wooden ground, clutching her job request against her chest and smiling widely. _I don't know what happened to you but... you smile even more, you're more cunning and cheerful_... And he was sure that it didn't have anything to do with the ice-alchemist Gray frozen Fullbuster. He nodded at Lily, who had been watching the quarrel nearby with a sweatdrop, then gazed at the blue-haired woman.

"Great!" she exclaimed jovially, dark blue eyes sparkling like diamonds. "200,000 jewels, which means 100,000 jewels each. It's more than enough for the both of us, Juvia is so –"

Gajeel remembered the raging storm that had ravaged Magnolia a few weeks ago – wild and devastating like an untamed beast. Thunder had even rumbled a little, the wind had been violent – Panther Lily had almost been blown away by the blast. _Period_. At least there hadn't been any flood and very damaged things around, that would have been a pain in the ass for the master. Gajeel had immediately known that something must have been wrong with Juvia and although he had tried to brave the heavy storm that day to go to her, he hadn't been able to walk straight without being flung back by a powerful gust of wind. It hadn't been a storm. More like a _hurricane_. The Iron Dragon Slayer wasn't one to be worried sick but when it came to the Rain woman – or even Levy to a certain extent –, he just couldn't sit still and do nothing while they were emotionally disturbed. But days after that sorrowful misery she had been through alone – Gajeel still felt terrible for not having been able to be there for her – she had seemed to appear a little bit 'better'; her smile was dim and her laughter wasn't as infectious as before but the tears had never streamed down her cheeks. None. He had tried to make her talk but all she said was 'Self-therapy' in a whisper. Her eyes had unshed tears but the look she had given him had been fiery and determined. When was the last time he had seen Juvia Lockser _that_ worked up over something he couldn't pinpoint?

So whatever happened to Juvia that day couldn't have been... _this bad_. It also must have a good effect on her, for she was now smiling and laughing again. He could tease her again to no end and she would respond in kind. Juvia was, somehow, back. Gajeel couldn't hide the excited grin from his face as he realized the fact. _Juvia Lockser was back_.

"Gajeel-kun, are you listening to – what are you grinning about?"

He didn't voice his answer, because there was another way to show his joy. He walked up to Juvia, stopped right besides and stared at her with unreadable, red eyes. She blinked in wonder, unable to tell what was going on. Then she felt a large hand ruffle her long locks both playfully and tenderly, making her eyes widen in surprise because she felt like he hadn't done that in ages – in _ages_. The sweetest, most brotherly gesture he would always do to her because of their unique bond. And when she looked up, wide-eyed, she could admire a broad grin on his lips and a gleam in his red eyes.

It was now that she realized she had missed Gajeel as much as he must have missed her as well.

"No droplets today?" he asked her.

She didn't even hesitate to return his smile. "No droplets today! Juvia feels great!"

If possible, his grin widened even more. "That's the spirit! Now let's go before we miss the train because you were stalling with all your goofy shit."

It was then that the Exceed decided to pipe in. "But weren't you the first to start this brawl, Gajeel?" Panther Lily raised an eyebrow at his male companion, who snarled at him in answer.

"Shuddup, will ya!"

* * *

"Juvia sure looks more radiant and better than the last time, doesn't she?" Mirajane Strauss remarked with a soft smile as she watched the Water Mage, the Iron Dragon Slayer and the Exceed leave. Then she turned towards Cana, who sported a mischevious expression, and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Do you happen to know _why_ our dear Juvia, who is literally head over heels for a certain icicle knucklehead, seems to have gotten past her feelings and decided to move on?" Cana grinned drunkely but her eyes never lost their focus as she leaned towards the white-haired woman. "Isn't that weird to you? Because _I_ certainly think it is. What do you think, Mira?"

What did she think? Mirajane just blinked, at a loss. Sure, Juvia seemed better and was now looking forward to invest herself in making more friends inside the guild – what had shocked her the most was the sight of the Rain woman talking with Laxus and trying his earpods while the Lightning Dragon Slayer was watching her with an amused smirk. At that time, Mirajane was sure she had been hallucinating but, to her utter amazement, it hadn't been an illusion at all (Gajeel had even insulted her for making such statement, already aware that his best friend had gotten under Laxus's skin all by herself.). The two of them had even gone to a mission together, the job request requiring mages using lightning and water magic. To be honest, most of their guild mates had been dumbstruck to see Laxus hanging out with Gray's number one fan; it truly wasn't every day that Laxus Dryer would become friends with another member this willingly (and he hadn't even made her bolt out of his sight with his lightning...), so it was weird. But _wonderful_.

Nevertheless, Mirajane was starting to have doubts because of Cana's assumptions. She put her hand under her chin, brows furrowed in deep concentration. "It does seem surreal when you think about it, Juvia was so hell bent on getting Gray's attention that it became another habit of the guild to see her stalking him," she said slowly. "But then there was that hurricane we know Juvia provoked and a few weeks after, she was back to normal. Except that she isn't fawning over Gray anymore," she finished with a sad frown.

"She isn't fawning over Gray anymore," Cana concluded with a nod. "And that's bugging me because that ain't funny no more: Juvia is no longer in love with icicle, doesn't stalk him anymore and even _ignores_ him sometimes, Mira!" There was a nasty gleam in her chocolate eyes as she puffed her cheeks, scowling. "I'm ready to bet that Laxus and Gajeel know that something is up with her."

"Why Laxus, Cana?" Mirajane wondered, both eyebrows shooting up. "I know they've become friends, but –"

Cana's Cheshire cat grin appeared as she hit her leg several times in amusement and excitement. "Oh, I see you didn't know that Laxus has been crashing at her place sometimes ever since the two of them became 'friends'. Mira, I thought you were sharper than that, that's _soooooo_ disappointing," she tutted with a mocking chuckle, her drink swaying dangerously.

Now Mirajane's blue eyes had widened to the size of saucers as her mind suddenly blanked. _Laxus...in Juvia's apartment?_

Cana rubbed her hands together, a mischevious grin on her face and a gleam in her eyes. "I think it's time to spy on our favorite Water Mage, I'm ready bet my next round of booze that she's hiding something. Laxus won't talk – _hell_ , he'll shock me into electroshock therapy long before I even assume that he might be sleeping with Juvia but what. The. _Heeeeeeeeeell_. Are you with me, Mira? I'll bring Lucy and Erza with us too."

* * *

 **Omake n°1:** _Rumbling Thunder Weakening and Softening to Water Touch: Because She Cares_

 **Genre: **_Drama/Friendship_

 **Inspired by:** _Somewhere I Belong_ by **Linkin Park** , _It's Not Over_ by **Daughtry** , _Lean On_ by **Major Lazer Feat. MO & Dj Snake**

Dark, blue eyes were incredibly soft when he looked at them and suddenly, he couldn't remember why he had knocked on her door. "Laxus-san, when was the last time you felt so lost and misunderstood?" she asked with her unobtrusive, kind voice.

Truly, he didn't know why he was here, why he was seeking her help, why he was feeling down for a reason he couldn't put the finger on – why it was so hard for him to voice his words. But he was here, sitting on her couch and looking like crap, which was a very rare sight for Laxus Dryer. The man was well-known for his confidence and strenght, both mental and physical, and anyone who knew him well enough was aware that he didn't let everyone get close to him willingly – in fact, there were so few people around him besides his Thunder Legion and his grandfather. While he may have started over with everyone in the guild ever since he came back to help them due to his grandfather calling him in his exile, the blond Lightning Mage still felt uneasy. On edge. Hesitant. As if he couldn't find his place within Fairy Tail's halls.

 _As if he didn't belong in the very guild he had tried so hard to destroy back then_. _Not anymore_.

It hurt. Laxus never showed his emotions openly but there were times when he would be caught off guard by something extremely kind concerning him – when Gilders' letter said that he had been reinstated in the guild despite his past actions he'd been shocked to the core, his heart beating so fast that it was painful. He'd been reaccepted, he'd been reinstated within Fairy Tail despite the Battle of Fairy Tail he had forcefully provoked among its members – he'd been pardoned. He'd been pardoned. _He'd been pardoned_. _He was still their family_. But shadows and feelings of uneasiness still clouded his reasons and while he had had no trouble during the Grand Magic Games where he had given his bastard of a father and all his trash of guild mates a good beating, the dark thoughts had never left. They were just hidden in a corner of his mind. Laxus had been utterly glad he'd been reaccepted but –

"It _hurts_ , doesn't it?" Juvia Lockser asked softly from her spot, sad eyes dropping to the ground. He looked up to stare at her, still silent. "Juvia has been observing you for a while now; there's still something bothering you to the point you would have nightmares. This started during the Grand Magic Games, after your battle against the members of Raven Tail. _Yes_ , Juvia has noticed that," she said in response to his sharp intake of breath. "Master Makarov came to talk to you about it, but you refused to see him. It was obvious to Juvia that you were shaken by the sight of your father and the talk you both had while there was that illusion working."

It was then that he finally let his emotions talk, because it looked like Juvia's words had hit home – he didn't know there was someone who could have given a fuck about his feelings and emotions, certainly not someone who used to be part of the guild that had thrashed his in the past. He snarled hatefully as he shot up from his seat, his jaws grounded together, hands curling to tight fists on his knees and eyes widening in seething rage. Lightning struck outside, illuminating the cloudy sky, and the rumble grew louder and louder by second. His training for the past years had paid off; he, just like Juvia Lockser, was now able to affect the weather just with his emotions – a flicker of rage would split the sky into ominous, dark clouds. Something he still wasn't able to control, because he felt like he became one with lightning and the sky. This connection with the heavens both thrilled him as much as it terrified him to a certain level. But he couldn't just calm the hell down now, not after what she just told him.

" _I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT SON OF A BITCH IS MY FUCKING FATHER_!" he yelled, his voice sounding like a roar. Juvia flinched as she watched him carefully, wide-eyed and surprised, but never inching away from him much to both his displeasure and relief. She had been expecting this. Good, because he needed her to hear and feel the intensity of his rage mixed with his buried sorrow. At least she, _a former enemy_ _and now a member of his family_ , was here to listen to him and the only one to have noticed his inner turmoil and struggle. "Now I understand why Gramps had to banish him: his mind is heavily corrupted and his soul is tainted. Tarnished. Forever lost to the darkness. Goddammit, I've been _so_. _Fucking_. _Blind_!" The thunder rumbled loudly once again, in rhythm with his emotions and shouting. And once again, Juvia remained close to him. "And here I've been blaming and hating my grandfather for all this shit after he had banished him from Fairy Tail. I feel so stupid, so... _so angry_ at myself and sorrowful because I couldn't understand what it truly meant to be part of a family, because I thought that Gramps had banished his son for reasons I had deemed stupid and all this time, I've been so fucking stupid. _Damn_. Damn it, damn it, _DAMN IT_!"

He continued his ranting, uncaring if he was loud as hell because it just helped him; the fact that Juvia kept quiet and listening was a plus Laxus had been wanting for some time ever since he had uncovered his 'father''s dark intentions. Whatever the hell Lumen Histoire was, it certainly couldn't be good. He had just grasped the meaning of a family inside Fairy Tail and had vowed to protect its values to the very end, there was _no fucking way_ he was going to let some scum ruin his goals of protecting the guild he had finally grown to acknowledge and love. Even that said scum was his own flesh and blood. Screw Ivan Dryer just because 'he was his father' and all that shit Laxus hadn't even wanted to hear, his exile out of Fairy Tail, out of Magnolia had been long enough to teach him everything he needed to grasp. Laxus Dryer was his own person to decide what was good for him and the guild.

He was about to bring his fist down a glass table when a soft, slender but petite hand grabbed his arm with a frightening grip and he whipped his head towards the Rain woman, eyes flashing dangerously and power surging through him in waves of sparks that covered his body and danced in the formerly calm atmosphere of the living-room. Her beautiful face was scrunched up in pain because she was making contact with him, was inching closer to him despite all the lightning, wasn't backing off despite the lethal danger she was putting herself in – was coming closer because _those eyes_ , those dark, blue eyes were blazing with boiling determination in spite of the intense pain she must be feeling. And this managed to startle the blond, but just a little; his rage was still too great.

 _Why wasn't she letting go of him?_

"Why don't you let go?" he growled menacingly at her, looming over her smaller frame.

She gritted her teeth. "Laxus-san, you don't have to close off your emotions when you're afraid to feel vulnerable!" she cried out, one eye closing shut because of the harsh pain. "You can freely express yourself and you're allowed to feel pain and sorrow! Remember, you're just like me and the others!"

"Why don't you let go?" the blond repeated coldly, taking a firm grip of her wrist as well. Juvia winced and gasped – but never let go. In fact, her hold seemed to have tightened even more. _Why are you doing this,_ _Juvia Lockser? Why are you doing this?_ Her look, even if he could see it from one eye, was as blazing as intimidating. But Laxus wasn't having any of it. _Why are you doing this?_

She snarled at him, which was a pretty unusual expression on such beautiful face. "Do you know who you are? What are your goals, your dreams? Who is Laxus Dryer, _the_ Laxus Dryer Juvia wants to know and acknowledge as a close friend like everyone in the guild? Juvia can't let you wallow in your darkness and sadness while everybody else is smiling and laughing, you have the same right to laugh and be happy as well!"

This time, he yelled at her. " _WHY DON'T YOU LET GO?!_ "

And Juvia just yelled back at him. " _BECAUSE LAXUS-SAN IS HUMAN AND JUVIA WANTS TO UNDERSTAND HIM SO SHE COULD HELP HIM! SHE CARES!_ "

She did. She did care about him _a lot_. When Juvia had felt how much Lucy's defeat at the hands of the Sabertooth member Minerva had hit her guild mates, she had felt it even more because she knew she could have handled this Naval Battle all by herself if she had stayed focused on her task. Water was her element and Juvia could have gotten rid of everyone in the large bubble, for Heaven's sake – she hadn't been able to look at Lucy in the eyes for some time because of the guilt that had been clutching her in the guts. The wounds had been bad, really bad. When she had retreated early in her room, Gajeel had been the first one to seek her out. And the most surprising of all had been Laxus Dryer. His words, both comforting and a lesson – she would never forget them for the future. The Rain woman couldn't have been more thankful.

The shock could be easily written on the handsome blond's face as he stared at the blue-haired woman, stunned. Juvia was still clutching Laxus's hand when she spoke, her expression softening. "She cares _a lot_ about you. Juvia has been replaying the events of the Battle of Fairy Tail that happened seven years ago. It was Juvia's first challenge as a member of Fairy Tail and at first she couldn't understand why Laxus-san, a member of the guild and also Master Makarov's own family, did something so awful to his fellow comrades. _'Why?'_ she would ask herself whenever she would lay her eyes on you. And then she tried to look for answers, because there's _always_ a trigger for _everything_."

The buzzing had stopped around them and Juvia was left panting a little, muscles strained and pounding because of the lightning. But somehow, _somehow_ , she just remained standing. And Laxus just couldn't talk, left staring at the woman with wide eyes.

"Fairy Tail has always meant the world to Laxus-san – _always_ ," she kept going. "And even if you had seemed to despise your fellow comrades in the past because of the drama your family has suffered, _deep down_ ," she touched his muscled chest, her hand so tiny over his beating heart. Laxus tensed, but never backed off from the touch – it was so alien, yet so _comforting_ at the same time. Enchanting dark, blue eyes looked up at him with the softest look he had ever seen in a long time. "you've always cared. Anger, frustration and this crave for recognition have been clouding your reason and judgement for a long time because you didn't have the respect you thought you deserved from everyone else – Erza-san, Natsu-san, Gray-san. Everyone except the Thunder Legion. You were known as Laxus Dryer, Master Makarov's grandson, not as Laxus Dryer himself. And," she hesitated as she averted her eyes from him. "...there's also the fact that Master Makarov has accepted both Juvia and Gajeel into Fairy Tail even after the mess with Phantom Lord. You must have felt so enraged. Astonished that your grandfather would allow to do such things. You must have thought that he should have refused, after what Phantom Lord has done to Fairy Tail." She bit her plump lips, the guilt dripping and her expression pained. "Juvia's sorry and she's sure Gajeel is as well."

"Rain woman...," Laxus murmured, still shocked. _Hell_ , he was starting to shake from the emotion. That woman was –

She took a large breath and looked back up, eyes soft and understanding. "Juvia understands now, Laxus-san. And she is sure that you completely grasped the meaning of family as well. After all, you did come to comfort Juvia during the Grand Magic Games after her loss in the Naval Battle and love rival's terrible beating by Minerva. She would never forget your words because they meant a lot to her and they still do. So Juvia promised herself to look after Laxus-san whenever he would feel down." She glanced at the window, then smiled a little. "The lightning would call Juvia, now that Laxus-san can also affect the weather. And Juvia will respond immediately to see what is wrong with her friend and fix his problems!" This was said so eagerly and cheerfully that Laxus could feel himself falter, his hands shaking uncontrollably.

 _And Juvia will respond immediately to see what is wrong with her friend and fix his problems!_ The sentence echoed in his head several times, Juvia's musical tone sounding like a pure voice from the heavens. He could sense the sincerity and care echoing – he could see and feel she wasn't kidding and truly meant what she said. Laxus swallowed with difficulty, his throat feeling constricted all of a sudden. He could feel himself calm down, just by listening to Juvia Lockser. A cool, soft hand pressed against his cheek and he blinked, focusing back on the petite mage. She was still giving him _that_ look that rendered him powerless.

"Laxus-san, please tell Juvia...when was the last time you ever felt a mother's touch? The last time you ever felt comforted by a woman you considered as your mother?"

Electric blue eyes widened in disbelief and confusion. Now that was surprisingly shocking. And new. Nobody had ever asked him something like that. Had he ever felt a mother's touch? If he were to be honest with himself, Laxus couldn't remember his own mother's face and her smile – he hadn't known her, having been told that she died before he could meet her for the first time. So the question felt very alien to him. "I've never known my mother," he grunted, eyes cast down and a frown set in place. "I don't even know what it's like to have one. My father...well, we both know what kind of third-rate scum he is since the Grand Magic Games," he hissed in disgust. He looked up at her, raising an eyebrow. "So what's your –"

The rest of the sentence was left unsaid, because all Laxus Dryer could feel right now was something incredibly, pleasantly, totally, _soft_. All rational thoughts cleared from his mind as he processed what was happening right now in this living-room where he'd been raging for at least fifteen minutes. He knew that feeling, he had touched the object many times from his flings with women but somehow, it _seemed_ and _felt_ so different with Juvia Lockser; even though she was wearing a nightgown Laxus could feel the perfect softeness of her huge breasts he could imagine were luscious and near perfection – just like her long, toned legs. The Lightning Dragon Slayer could feel her slender hands working in his hair, stroking it with the softest of touches. Electric, blue eyes widened in utter disbelief. Juvia didn't seem to mind this gesture, as it must mean something to her.

They both let themselves slid to the ground, onto the very fluffy and soft ultramarine carpet. Her voice was soothing to his ringing ears. "Juvia remembers her mother doing this whenever Juvia would feel sad. That gesture used to calm her down immediately, as if it was magic. _Because she cared_ ," she murmured for both of them. "And her smile – oh, _her smile_. It was so beautiful, it would light up a whole room just by the sight of it. And her laugh sounded like bells, Juvia thought it was the most beautiful sound in the world." She sighed delightfully, relishing in her memory.

Laxus had to ask. "What... what happened to her?"

"...Juvia doesn't know. Really, she doesn't. But listen, Laxus-san: can you hear the storm?"

He strained his ears, without looking up, and found himself out of breath.

Quietness. Peace. _Just like his mind_. _Because the Rain woman cared_. The storm had quieted down, because she had cared. She cared for him.

He didn't know when he had wrapped his muscled arms around her slender frame to hug her tightly against him, when they both had fallen onto her bed so they could be more comfortable onto a soft mattress – she on her back, him on top of her with his face buried in the softness of her chest, his legs between hers and his arms around her. The position might be too suggestive for many but, for both mages, it was nothing more than a comforting embrace between two close friends. Juvia kept stroking his hair and was humming a tune he didn't know – not that he particularly cared at the moment. Or even when he had started crying for the second time as an adult. Laxus knew she wouldn't mind having her nightgown wet so he cried, cried, cried and _cried_. But those were tears of relief, unleashed sadness and rage She could be a close friend, a guild mate, a lover – anything.

But Juvia Lockser also knew how to act like a mother. And Laxus found it amazing, because she was able to reduce the terrible lightning to a soft purring outside.

* * *

 **Author's Note 1:** I'm impressing myself – I've written over 9,000 words! Anyways, about the omake: I felt like writing side-stories besides the main one, so that we could know what Juvia is up to and imagine what we could do with her when she hangs out with other guild mates – Laxus, Bisca, the Thunder Legion, Lucy, Cana or Mirajane. Even Erza. I'm feeling creative.

 **Next Chapter:** _You May Stop Smirking, Gentlemen._


	2. You May Stop Smirking, Gentlemen

**Summary:** _"_ _Who makes you moan? Who makes you scream in pleasure and joy? I. Fucking. Do._ _What's mine is mine and sharing isn't an option_ _I'd even_ _have the idiocy to consider."_

 _After the Grand Magic Games, Juvia_ _Lockser_ _took time to reflect on her life – including Gray Fullbuster. Something she wouldn't have done on her own since she was always caught up in her fantasy._ _It hurt like a bitch to realize that a one-sided love would never be returned, it truly did. And moving on was even harder to do. But still, Juvia swore to do so._ _Somehow, there's a way for everything._

 **Genre:** _Drama/Friendship._

 **Disclaimer:** To say that Fairy Tail belongs to me is pure fantasy. Hiro Mashima remains the creator and has all the rights. And I see Juvia Lockser as... Boa Hancock from One Piece. They could be really close friends, as they seem so similar. Both insanely strong and crazy in love with Gray Fullbuster and Monkey D. Luffy.

 **/!\ Warning: This fan-fiction has tons of smut and I won't tell when and where you'll read them in those chapters. I'm unpredictable, huh! Minors have been warned and if you're caught off guard...remember that this fan-fiction is rated M. Read the summary carefully before launching yourself on this story.**

* * *

… In which Sting Eucliffe and Juvia Lockser try hard not to give in to sexual frustration once apart, Rogue Cheney and Gajeel Redfox are both meddling and helping friends, Cana Alberona, Lucy Heartfilia, Mirajane Strauss and Erza Scarlet are determined to discover Juvia's 'secrets'.

… and in which Juvia Lockser shows off why she is called Juvia of the Great Sea.

* * *

 **Chapter Two:** _You May Stop Smirking, Gentlemen._

" _Oh, Sting..."_

 _Damn, he loved that moan. Lustful and hungry, exactly how he liked them. Juvia was lying flat on her stomach, the muscled chest of her blonde lover pressed against her back as he leisurely thrust his hips forward. Sting grunted in pure pleasure, his teeth nipping her left ear and his hands either fondling her luscious breasts or stroking her attractive hips. She felt so hot and so right beneath him, all submissive and completely his to bring to impossibly pleasurable orgasms. Her hands, clamping the bed sheets, were itching to scratch his skin and that thought alone made him smirk against her neck. He rubbed his pelvis teasingly against the rounded shape of her ass, giving her a powerful thrust of his hips. She cried out, jerking in his embrace as he chuckled darkly._

" _Frustrating, isn't it?" he whispered huskily, provoking goose bumps along her shoulder as he bit, licked and kissed the creamy white skin that had the best taste ever according to his tongue. It was so alluring he could eat her whole._

 _Juvia arched her neck, giving in to his ministrations as his teeth and tongue went to lick and bite the mark he had created on her skin, red and definitely going to remain there. Sting purred loudly in happiness as one of her hands flew to his blonde hair, stroking it wildly before grasping a handful in a strong grip. Then he roared, digging his fingers into her hips as he brutally increased the pace of his hips. She cried out once again as his teeth bit down mercilessly in her neck, her nerves pulsing from the sensations he was provoking._

" _Mine!" he growled animalistically, his lust swirling madly in his blue eyes._

Sting growled under his breath as he gave his throbbing member hard, swift strokes. He was sweating a little, his face strained from the pain mixed with the pleasure he was feeling upon recalling his previous trysts with the delicious, blue-haired sex-kitten he had reluctantly left. He breathed slowly, chest heaving and muscles rippling. The Dragon Slayer couldn't risk startling Lector in his sleep with his sexual problem, especially if the Exceed started to be annoyingly teasing – the fact that Sting couldn't hide anything to his best furry friend honored his devotion to value friendship above everything else, just like Fairy Tail had taught Sabertooth to during the Grand Magic Games. Lector was aware of his nights with Juvia Lockser and was, both pleasantly and surprisingly, supporting this arrangement between the two of them (he had even stated that he would like to meet the blue-haired woman again, just to see if she was worth Sting's attention but the Dragon Slayer already knew his Exceed will like her). Hiding in the bathroom of his own apartment when he had to take care of his carnal need wasn't the best option, especially if the object of his aggressive desires wasn't near, but he didn't much of a choice.

He arched his back, throwing his head backwards as he let out another groan of pleasure, ecstasy and lust swimming furiously in his half-lidded blue eyes. Sting shuddered as he felt a wave of heat building up in his lower regions, his heart beating quite wildly. He was close, _very close_. Pre-cum was already pouring out of the tip of his shaft, staining the tiles of the floor, but that truly didn't matter to Sting; he was trying to concentrate on a memory of his intimate moments with Juvia, a particularly intimate, steamy one that should send him over the edge. He found it hard to focus on one sole night when every last one of them were amazing and mind-blowing, maybe he should remember the way Juvia made him cum after a seemingly endless staccato of wild thrusts. Sting finally closed his eyes with a feral smirk as he looked through his memory to fish out the damn, best fucking tryst with the Water Mage because even though she wasn't here with him, she still had this delicious effect on him that made him crave for her body even more.

" _Hell_ , Rain woman," Sting growled huskily, still wearing the same smirk. "You have no idea how you make me feel even though I don't have you around..."

 _He had her trapped into the shower, pressed against the wall. And 'trapped' was the right word to use, for Sting has tied down Juvia by her wrists so that she wouldn't be able to touch him at all. She was glaring daggers at him, a frown that he found amusing set to reinforce her inner struggle, and he could practically hear her scream at him through her muggle. His proud smirk widened as he watched her struggle a little bit against the binds, her grumbles muffled. Sting had been thinking about this for a long while; tying that vixen to her spot while he would be ravaging her, driving her to a fever pitch until she finally begged him to take her in the most violent way they both had come to like. Addictive? Certainly. Rendering her powerless against his assault was even more exciting._

 _The blonde turned the hot water on first, then the cold water to create the perfect temperature – Sting had discovered that fucking Juvia made her literally boil and her magical powers would create hot steam around her body, a fact that the blonde Dragon Slayer had instantly loved. And those activities also had an effect on Sting, since he would always radiate light because of the heat and pleasure building up between their two bodies. There was once when Juvia had moaned the word 'beautiful' upon witnessing the phenomenom, dazed and awed. Although he'd been momentarily stunned, the compliment had pleased him. Strangely pleased him because it was Juvia and not another fling – if Lector were to ask him why it would please him if she found him beautiful, Sting probably wouldn't be able to answer that. Water immediately soaked their bodies as Sting leaned closer to press himself against the curvaceous Rain woman, his fingers and mouth and teeth already working their magic on her skin. She arched against him with a muffled moan of pleasure, her pelvis grinding against his in an insanely pleasant way, and he growled dangerously against her neck._

" _Juvia, you enchanting little minx," Sting groaned huskily. He bit down harshly, making her squeal and squirm under his touch and ministrations. He chuckled darkly before kissing his way down on her body; his tongue licked, his teeth nipped and bit, his lips kissed, and she moaned through her muggle, bucked her hips a little when his fingers came to play with her legs. They lingered on the guild mark on her left tight, traced the symbol sensuously before both hands grabbed the toned legs tightly to spread them apart – damn, those legs. They were amazing._

" _God," he breathed, eyes gleaming darkly as they stared hungrily at their treasure. The feral grin that emerged on his face was enough to send Juvia wild, uncontrolled goose bumps all over her soaked body._

 _He lunged, sucking and lapping, and he groaned at the heavenly taste on his tongue, at the muffled screams of pleasure coming out of Juvia's mouth. Wonderful._

Before that, Sting Eucliffe had no idea that cumming would _harshly_ pull him back into the land of living; he quickly clamped his mouth shut to muffle the loud growl of pleasure that surely would have woken Lector up, jerked his body forward as the powerful orgasm washed over him and his head bumped against the wall behind him. The liquid shot out of the tip of his shaft, just like a waterfall, and Sting suddenly wished Juvia was there in his bathroom with him. At least she would have helped him with his carnal desire.

Panting and gasping for air he blinked slowly, still a bit dazed and his heart beating wildly in his chest. Making himself cum didn't feel as magnificent and wonderful as releasing himself inside a woman's pussy, he remarked silently as his grip on his member slackened considerably. But recalling that memory had _greatly_ helped him to get off, because a submissive and tied down Juvia Lockser had been an enticing sight to marvel at. Her body writhing under his touch, her face scrunched up in pleasure and ecstasy whenever his tongue would hit a sensible spot, her hips bucking in his mouth because of the way his mouth and tongue would –

He roughly shook his head, wiping a bead of sweat off his brow. Recalling that particularly steaming moment would result in making him turned on once again and having to relieve himself all alone was just too frustrating. _Too frustrating for his taste_. "Damn, not a good time to get off," he muttered as he closed his eyes. He then took a good breath, stood on slightly shaky legs to clear the bathroom of the semen; the smell wasn't disgusting, not at all – it just didn't match the one mixed with Juvia's scent when she orgasmed under his assault. Once the room was clean he opened the window to let some fresh air in, pleased with the little breeze blowing in his blonde hair. The Dragon Slayer needed to cool off, he needed to do something before he actually thought about hunting down a certain bluenette and do some... _very_ naughty things to her.

He smirked as he washed his hands. That would be really interesting to see if the blue-haired vixen would be excited to cross paths with him on a mission, but if Gajeel were to be with her as well, Sting was 100% sure that complications and a severe headache would follow suit – that darn Iron Dragon Slayer was damn smart and sharp when it came to his best friend and it wouldn't take him much time to figure out what was going on between him and Juvia. And the consequences would be _painful_. The blonde snickered to himself as he got out of the bathroom. Juvia was right: he _did_ have a death wish.

"You seem in a good mood, Sting," Lector commented as he yawned after greeting him, blinking repeatedly. "Are you going to see Juvia-fairy today?"

His furry friend had always been good at reading him; ever since he told Lector of his 'relationship' with Juvia Lockser of Fairy Tail, the Exceed had proved to be very supportive – if not a little overexcited to know all the details, but Sting would keep silent about this. Even though he had become the master of Sabertooth for now, he was still aware that secrets were hard to keep unknown from everyone: Rogue would be the first one to hound him with disturbing questions about the woman he was seeing, since he was always extra careful to wash himself before nearing his partner – Dragon Slayers and their keen senses. That was a bit problematic sometimes.

Sting hummed. "Nah, not today," he sighed. He wouldn't be able to sit straight if he were to be in front of her, anyway; his body and mind would take over, his animalistic instincts stronger than his reason when lust washed over him, and Juvia would respond in kind.

"Aw, why not?" Lector whined, his tail falling flat on the mattress. "I wanted to see Juvia-fairy for once and get her to tell me how you two became...like _this_." The Exceed turned pink as he laughed awkwardly, both amused and sheepish at the same time.

The blonde made a confused face. "Wait, didn't I tell you how Juvia and I –"

"Ah, so you _are_ bedding Juvia of the Great Sea," came a deep voice from the door, startling both friends. "Now that's big news, Sting. That also explains why you're always so careful to wash yourself so often. Smart move. But that does little to the smell of your arousal coming out of your bathroom."

Sting froze, stunned. No. How the hell did he know about his nights when he always made sure not to get caught with the blue-haired vixen? And he knew Juvia did the same thing around her guild mates, no one could smell him on her when her water body would immediately wash her skin, so _how_? He stalked toward the door, wrenched it open and glared at the slightly smug-looking Rogue, baring his fangs out. Frosch beamed when he saw Lector, running in to hug his other furry friend.

"What the hell, eavesdropping now?" He couldn't believe it. "Where's my privacy? Sheesh, I feel so _violated_!"

"It's not like I could just ignore everything that's happening to you, _master_ ," he sarcastically shot back, insisting on his partner's title with a raised eyebrow. Rogue ignored the blonde's snarl as he stepped into the apartment, calmly strode toward the couch and took a seat on it. "What's more important is the fact that you're getting more and more distracted, it's getting to the others. Yukino is even starting to think that you're sick or something."

Sting groaned under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was aware of being distracted, sometimes spacing out because Juvia kept popping in his mind even when he wasn't thinking about her – thus getting him aroused and hot in no time. That was a problem because it prevented him from concentrating on tasks and the stuff every guild master has to learn; that had started to happen right after their first night together, he couldn't get himself to leave on his own – Juvia had to force him to and even though she had said that, Sting could see the hesitation in her blue eyes. She hadn't wanted him to leave as well. The attraction between them had been instantaneous. Almost _suffocating_. He had felt a powerful pull toward the blue-haired Mage when he had kissed her lips, when his hands and hers had started roaming each other's body hungrily – when he had thrust inside her to feel himself explode in a myriad of incredible sensations. What had been more important and thrilling, according to Sting's opinion, was the very first mark he had landed on Juvia's neck when he was making her scream his name in pleasure: he had viciously licked and bitten the mark all over again through the whole tryst, eliciting Juvia's hungry, arousing moans and screams, making the Dragon Slayer lust for her even more.

The pull had grown stronger over the times they had slept together, becoming some sort of addiction Sting and Juvia were now attached to and weren't willing to let go – would they even _consider_ letting go of each other? The blonde sneered, silently cursing. The idea itself was as ridiculous as forgetting his everlasting admiration toward Natsu Dragneel, for Juvia Lockser had become something akin to an obsession to Sting Eucliffe.

"I'll figure it out," he grunted to Rogue. For now, he needed to concentrate on something else before another erection captured his attention once more.

Rogue didn't bother to hide the smile on his face. "Did you even tell her? Because if you didn't, I'm ready to bet that she won't be delighted to find out the truth from someone else – like Gajeel-san for example."

The exclamation ' _Damn!_ ' and the groan that left Sting's lips gave the Shadow Dragon Slayer the answer that he dreaded and he chuckled silently, shaking his head. He might not know Juvia Lockser but from what Gajeel had told him about her, she was damn scary and unpredictable when angered. But she could be as sweet as a kitten as well.

* * *

"ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO!"

Gajeel and Panther Lily stared at the Rain woman, baffled – even though the former looked ready to pass out from his motion sickness. But _still_! It was rare to think that Juvia could get sick but, as the Iron Dragon Slayer put it simply, it was a possibility. But it was getting quite stupefying now; she had been sneezing non-stop for the past twenty minutes ever since they got onboard and she wasn't showing signs of stopping. When someone was going through a wild fit of sneezing in a long row, then it certainly meant that he or she was the subject of conversation of another person. It seemed like it was the case with Juvia.

Lily blinked, rubbed his eyes and decided to break the awkward situation. "Miss Juvia... are you alright?" he inquired.

Somehow she managed to shoot the Exceed a smile. "Juvia is – ACHOO! – fine. Sort of – ACHOO!"

 _Wrong answer_. The Rain woman was certain she hadn't caught a cold recently (mostly because there was a sexy, blonde Dragon Slayer to keep her hot and steamy for long hours of sex. Horny bastard didn't know when to stop, always demanding for more. And she couldn't help but purr for more as well, already wet for him.), she didn't feel down because she would be away from Gray – all those intense and tiring feelings for the Ice Mage had faded shortly after the conclusion of the Eclipse nightmare, even though it had been the most difficult moment in her life as a Fairy Tail Mage because realizing that denial hurt more than actually believing that waiting patiently forever for an answer would be worth it – so what was wrong with this sneezing fit?

Gajeel snorted through his motion sickness, looking a bit sick. " _Really_? Sorry for not noticing with all your sneezing, we –" He suddenly stopped, red eyes widening and slapping a hand over his mouth to hold it together. But it didn't seem to work out in the way he wanted as he surged from his seat and bolted toward the restrooms. Juvia sweatdropped upon watching him worrily, itching to go this care but her sneezing all but prevented her from getting up. Lily just sighed, choosing to remain seated.

She pressed a tissue against her nose as she closed her eyes in annoyance, embarrassed. Who could be talking about her so much that she had to sneeze for the past twenty minutes? It couldn't be the Ice Mage, for she was sure he must be relishing in his peace and space now that she had stopped being stalkerish and overbearing – that had been unealthy both for him and for her, mostly for her part because she had realized she could ruin herself. So who the hell could be talking – or even thinking – about her right now? And it wasn't just the sneezing that bothered her – it was this very familiar sensation of being touched, caressed and intimately fingered and licked by a certain male who had been driving her to impossible orgasms. Juvia gritted her teeth, sensitively aware of the moisture gathering between her thighs. Even when he wasn't around Sting Eucliffe still had this positive effect on her, able to make her horny around her best friend.

This wasn't good. She crossed her long legs, opening her eyes to survey the wagoon; people around them were chatting among themselves, oblivious to one mage's struggle against her own urges. Her blue eyes wandered a little before landing on a couple seated not far away from where she was and her features twitched a little. What set her body ablaze, made her think about what Sting did to her when they got together at nights, was the boyfriend's hand discretly slipping inside his girlfriend's short – _and._ _I_ _nside._ _H_ _er._ _P_ _anties_! – while looking completely innocent. Juvia's features twitched even more as she groaned, then sneezed one last time. _That's it._

"Lily," she said, her voice a little constricted as she got up from her seat. "I'm going to the bathroom to refresh myself a little. If Gajeel-kun is still alive, that is..." she trailed off, a mischevious smile stretching her lips.

A growl sounded not far from her, making her smile wider despite her struggle. A large hand roughly landed on her blue locks, squeezed her head and Juvia squeaked, her arms flailing. "Rain woman, just go _refresh yourself_ as you say so before I throw ya watery ass out of the train and go snag the reward all by myself. Tch!"

She was about to retort when his words echoed in her mind. Her heart missed a beat as she realized something. It wasn't just the words but the way he had pronounced them in that sarcastic tone of his when he knew that something was up with her. Juvia bit her lip, not even surprised but sheepish. Gajeel hadn't been oblivious, just like she had assumed and had told her blonde lover: he had actually found out. And he was certainly going to bitch about it. She quickly glanced at the Dragon Slayer as she passed by him, his red eyes drilling on her form, and she grasped the message behind his glare. ' _We'll talk about it later.'_ he was silently saying, releasing his hold on her head. She nodded at him then scurried toward the bathroom, locking herself in.

Juvia exhaled loudly, her chest heaving and her cheeks flushed, then slammed her hands onto the wooden door. _He knew, Gajeel knew!_ And since this was Gajeel Redfox, her best friend, he must have known for a very long time now – if Juvia wanted to be a little paranoid, she'd say that he's known since the very first night she and Sting slept together. His scent had mixed with hers, she knew it but since her body was mostly composed of water, her magic would wash the blonde Dragon Slayer's scent away from her. Juvia groaned as she leaned against the wall, still breathing hard. Damn, that was frustrating! Now she must think of ways to coerce Gajeel into keeping his brash mouth shut (she wasn't going to let him have more than half of the reward. Over her dead body.) because even if he were to shut the hell up, there was the slight possibility that something would slip past his lips should Levy ask about her whereabouts. And he would let the little bookworm – his sweet, little bookworm – know a dirty little secret about Juvia Lockser seeing a certain Dragon Slayer from Sabertooth. Levy would certainly tell Lucy, the blonde won't probably know how to resist Erza's insistance on the topic given her weak spirit against the knight's, and Cana...the always wasted Mage would have the guild informed even before the end of the day. Problems, problems. Sting and Juvia won't like the attention at all.

 _Damn! Even Mirajane will haunt me for days to know all the details. Fine._ _Later_ , she promised herself as one hand sneaked its way toward the center of her legs, past her now damp panties. The blue-haired woman whimpered in pleasure, eyes closed. She was already _that_ wet just by thinking about Sting. The problem between her legs needed to be solved quickly before they reached their final destination. One finger entered her hot, throbbing core as her other hand quickly flew to her mouth to muffle the threatening, loud moan that would have escaped her lips. The sensation was burning, as incandescent as a flame but not as igniting as the soaring fire Sting always used to create himself. Still, Juvia needed this release. _Now_.

" _Spread your legs," he demanded, his voice rough and seducing._

 _Juvia, who was lying flat on her back and completely exposed to him, did just that with a blush on her cheeks. She didn't miss the way his blue eyes darkened with desire, clouded with lust, and how his tongue came out to lick his lips in a lecherous way. Or the way his growl made her body tremble in hardly hidden excitement and lust._

It would seem that her body reacted to her memories and had a mind of its own; her legs spread apart to let her hand work inside her wet folds, fingers pumping in and out. She had done well to clamp a hand over her mouth, because she wasn't sure she could be silent through this – it was as if Sting was with her in the restrooms, leaning on the wall just behind her slightly squirming form and pleasuring her with his fingers instead. Juvia could almost feel his lips ghosting the back of her neck, trailing hot kisses towards the valley of her breasts before biting in the flesh with his canines. And as she began to buck her hips against her own hand, Juvia lost herself in a very steamy memory that had both brought them to an _explosive_ orgasm.

 _Somehow, Juvia had known that Sting would be in Magnolia this day for some reasons – a mission or whatever the hell he was supposed to do with his partner. A tingle in her spine had made her shiver in giddy pleasure, already imagining what crazy things they would do once together, and she had unconsciously licked her lips before leaving the guild. He would know where to find her. He just had to follow the scent of her arousal._

 _Sting had cornered Juvia into a hot spring, where she had wanted to relax for a few hours. He had disposed of Lector, who had gone shopping with Rogue and Frosch, and had even arranged some story about having to take care of 'master business' should his friends run into Natsu and the whining blonde pom-pom girl (because there was a chance that the mighty Fire Dragon Slayer might ask where he was. Sting certainly didn't want a cockblocker between him and his delicious blue-haired lover or there would be hell to pay.). Sneaking into the female side of the onsen had been easy, since it was pretty late and almost everyone had gone home – Juvia had been practicing in the water, creating from a large waterfall to complex and yet deadly attacks. Sting had admired her not to far from her, a smirk on his face and eyes clouded with desire; her body movements were graceful and swift, the towel clung to all the curves he had spent many nights discovering and savouring with his hands and mouth. Once in her element, Juvia Lockser was this enchanting, bewitching Water Mage who had completely captured him under her spell – albeit innocently, but still: Sting wasn't going to let go of her._

 _Truly, he did know why he was always hunting her down. Yes, he knew._

 _His lips were on her neck before she could even sense him behind her and she jumped in his embrace, startled, but soon relaxed with a soft sigh. Her body, flushed against him right now and her ass wriggling against his groin, made him growl and his arms flashed, snaking around her semi-naked form. The previously controlled water dropped around them, splashing around but they actually didn't care, too enthralled in their own world. Sex in a hot spring? They should have tried that right after the Grand Magic Games!_

" _Mmmh... you sneaky, sneaky little dragon!" Juvia whispered in his ear, smiling. Her teeth came to play with the earlobe, earning her a shudder and another groan._

 _Sting chuckled, hands roaming her wet body. "Turn around and tell me that when my tongue will be guiding you toward the heavens," he retorted. His grin became feral when one of his hands met her wet folds, fingers slipping in to stroke in an insanely slow pace. The expected reaction pleased him as Juvia threw her head back, a throaty moan escaping her lips and her body trembling from his ministrations. His lips sucked on the mark on her neck – the only one that will always remain on her. "Or after I fucked you senseless, Darling. Either way, you'll be screaming my name." Then his canines sank down and bit. Hard. She cried out in pleasure, making Sting chuckle in dark triumph. "And I just happen to love the way you scream my name, Juvia." And Sting took her lips in a ferocious, harsh kiss, his other hand fondling a full, creamy breast._

 _The towel dropped from their bodies as the blonde yanked it, sinking into the hot water. And then he started to grind, his desire now too great to just ignore it._

Juvia's body arched against the wall, all muscles and nerves boiling from the heat and steam emanating from the Water Mage, the exploding sensation of her orgasm hitting her in full force. She moaned-screamed as she cummed hard, her fluid pouring out like small rain and trickling down her fingers like shiny diamonds. Juvia closed her dazed eyes, unable to remain standing as her legs gave out and she slid down to the floor, chest heaving to regain her breath. Her cheeks were flushed, something that the blonde Dragon Slayer had always been good at doing so.

 _Amazing._ It was almost as if Sting had been with her, fingering her in the way she wanted to bring her to this shattering orgasm. Juvia could swear she had almost felt his presence against her although he wasn't physically here with her and, somehow, the feeling of not being able to touch him right now clung to her guts. What was that? Why was she craving for Sting's presence _that_ badly to the point she wanted to be trapped in his arms and drown into his dragon-like warmth, where she somehow knew she would always feel at her place and at ease? That certainly wasn't how sex-friends were supposed to feel like; sex-friends would just relish in each other's company when they got together to fuck each other's brains out, they shouldn't be craving for their lover's presence at all cost because it would mean that feelings were blooming. Feelings were forbidden in a relationship such as Sting's and Juvia's. What the hell was wrong with her mind? And why did her heartbeat always quicken when Sting popped in her head, clouding her thoughts and erasing all the others?

"Does he know the answer to... _that_?" Juvia wondered out loud, her voice still a little bit breathless. Dark blue eyes opened slowly as she withdrew her hand, wet from her fluids.

A loud bang echoed on the door and she jumped, squeaking. "Stupid question. He _does_ , Rain woman."

Gajeel Redfox really knew how to break peace with his rough voice. And to surprise when someone was just recovering from an orgasm. The blue-haired woman hastily got up from her spot, flustered and quick to use her magic to clean up the mess she had made. Then she'll drown the walking piece of iron for sneaking up on her like that! Juvia scowled, cheeks flushing in embarrassment and indignation. Just because he had a damn good nose didn't mean he had to smell her arousal as if it were just a common thing to do.

 _But didn't he say that_ –

"And I'm quite surprised he didn't tell you the first night he jumped your bones, or even the other times when you two rabbits got together to do the deed," Gajeel continued, sounding both disappointed and irritated for some reason she couldn't decipher. "That's the first thing he should have made crystal clear after marking you as his." When Juvia answered him by a shocked gasp he snickered, amused. "What, you thought I wouldn't know of your new 'hobby' with the cocky, blonde bastard from Sabertooth? I'm almost infuriated, Juvia."

The Water Mage, now refreshed and clean, whirled the restrooms door open to glare at the smug look of her best friend and his toothy grin. Although the shock didn't quite leave her it was now mixing with strong indignation, which is showed by the twitching eyebrows, the half-hearted snarl and the irritation blazing in her blue orbs.

"Now that's uncalled for, Gajeel!" she hissed as she crossed her arms over her chest, huffing. Nevertheless, she was still stunned about him finding out (and she had been the one to warn Sting that someone would inevitably find out about them – Gajeel, of course.). "How – just _how_ did you –"

He snorted, cutting her off. "Later. This is our stop, so get your things and let's get out of this damn train before my sense of smell loses its accuracy because of your – _oof_!"

"I get it!" she silently hissed at him as she retracted her long leg after delivering him a swift kick in the stomach. Juvia was about to deliver another well-deserved kick into Gajeel's back when she remembered something really, really important and she dashed toward her things, feeling quite flustered. She nodded vigorously to Panther Lily, who was looking a bit dismayed and utterly confused by the sight of the Iron Dragon Slayer picking himself up, cursing the 'horny Rain woman'.

Walking with panties damp with fluid from an orgasm could be quite troublesome, especially if your companion had a sharp nose. _Really_.

* * *

"It's called mating," Gajeel revealed to one very focused and glaring Juvia Lockser. He had waited until they got into their hotel, got their rooms and had dinner to give her the explanations she wanted to know. "I won't explain how animals mate, you already know the basics." Translation: 'if you don't, then you're a bigger idiot than I thought.'. But he wouldn't voice this thought aloud, because facing Juvia's wrath once she was finally angered had been his first mistake when they had fought for the very first time. And since he knew she had trained a lot these past weeks, she would make him beg for mercy. "But since dragons still were animals back then, it applies to us as well because we could say we are... _animalistic_ in our way. I remember Metallicana explaining what I would expect once I've matured." He blinked, falling silent for a few seconds, before picking up where he left. "He said that mating is a phase during which a dragon's instincts set on the one that would match it in domains it couldn't conquer and once the dragon finds its mate, it will automatically want to mark its mate as its sole and own territory. It's possessive and will. _Not_. _Share_." When his red eyes found Juvia's blue orbs he smirked, feeling mischevious. "Then comes the _physical_ part, where I've noticed you've already been introduced to – nice job by the way, Rain woman!" he snickered triumphantly, rejoicing in witnessing his friend's embarrassment and flushed face.

Despite being horribly timid and embarrassed (because _damn_. She was having this conversation with Gajeel. _Gajeel_!) Juvia still managed to send him a harsh glare from her huddle position on her bed, silently daring him to taunt her. The Iron Dragon Slayer just snorted in laughter, amused to no end. The Exceed never wavered, though there was a small gleam in his eyes.

"Anyway, the marking is done during the mating. It's represented as teeth marks that would never fade on the mate's skin. Mating season naturally hits us Dragon Slayers once we've reached adulthood and it happens once in a lifetime, a period during which we absolutely don't want _anyone_ to fuck up our mating because it's such a sacred ritual. The first time isn't usually gentle – it's brutal and passionate because of the desire we both feel. The attraction is almost painful and once the mating is done, there's a powerful and unbreakable bond between a Dragon Slayer and its mate." Gajeel turned toward Juvia, his eyes boring into hers. "Since you and Sting mated on your very first night together, I assume that he marked you?" When she nodded he strode toward her, tilting his head. "Show me."

Juvia felt a tad hesitant and immediately frowned. Gajeel may be her best friend but she felt a bit rebellious, which truly surprised her. Why should she show him her mark? Those teeth marks Sting created on her skin had grown to become intimate and personal for her, so intimate and personal that she always arranged herself to hide them from prying eyes – especially _Cana_. When Gajeel saw her torment and interpreted the frown marring her face he smirked proudly, crossing his arms over his muscled chest. Lily looked between the two friends, obviously missing something.

"What? What did I miss?" the Exceed inquired.

"Rain woman here is displaying her status as a Dragon Slayer's mate, Lily. When I asked – or rather demanded to see her mark, she didn't move at all and inwardly denied my request. That's good, because she only needs to answer to her mate and that's it. Besides," he added, slapping a hand on Juvia's head to bring her back to Earth. Dark blue eyes snapped up to him and narrowed. He only smirked even more. "the blonde Sabertooth will immediately know how you feel every damn second now that you've created the bond between you."

"What do you mean?" Juvia asked, confused.

"Remember that annoying sneezing fit you got earlier? Who do you think was thinking about you and feeling horny as hell?" Gajeel looked and sounded teasing, his smirk growing bigger if possible. When Juvia squeaked and hid her face behind her blue curls, flushing red, he lost it and burst into laughter. "That's another point of the bond between a Dragon Slayer and the mate: he'll feel your emotions, you'll feel his. You became one the night you two fucked and now that you're bound to him, there's no way you can escape it. Once it's done, it's done for the rest of your life. So there's no way you could even think about icicle Fullbuster, the blonde Sabertooth is your obsession as much as you're his. Sting will tear him apart for so much as eyeing your legs. There's no point in having _romantic feelings_ for each other, this is for the weak and wimps. He'll give you a piece of his soul, binding you to him forever. So he can 'feel' for you, but you can't call that 'love' because it's so much deeper than this. Which reminds me..." His face sobered up and Gajeel became serious, looking down at Juvia.

She slowly peered up at him. "Hm?"

He hesitated and struggled with his words, somehow constricted in his throat. Weeks may have passed since that raging storm that had ravaged Magnolia, but Gajeel was still feeling disgusted at himself for not having been able to reach Juvia; she had been all alone for hours until she had calmed down, thus ending the storm and the thunderbolt. This had been the first time in years he hadn't been able to help her feel better and dry her tears and _damn_ , that had hurt him deeply. The stripper bastard had been guilty for causing Juvia's sorrow – always the same shit – and that had happened after having mated with Sting Eucliffe; she must have realized that whatever bullshit she had been feeling for Gray Fullbuster couldn't compare to the pull connecting her to the White Dragon Slayer of Sabertooth, it just. _Couldn't_. Gajeel knew that Juvia was a soft-hearted woman behind the dark front she had put up during their Phantom days (the ultimate proof had been the gift he had offered her on her birthday. To say he had been shocked to see a genuine, joyous smile on her usually stony face had been a pitiful understatement.) and the fact that she had mustered great courage, patience and determination to get Gray's attention for years had enraged him. He had stopped counting the times when he had hunted down the Rain woman to cheer her up after being mostly ignored or denied, it had been too much.

Gajeel wouldn't voice it, but he had been utterly relieved to learn that Juvia was willing to move on; the 'self-therapy' she had put herself through was what she needed to get rid of whatever fucking affection she still had for the walking icicle, because that could have been really problematic: Dragon Slayers were incredibly possessive and territorial toward their mate, the simple idea of sharing was an outrage – unless one was so wanting to find himself beaten to death for hitting on one Dragon Slayer's mate. Sting Eucliffe would have skinned Gray Fullbuster alive should he had tried a move on Juvia. Literally speaking, since actions spoke louder than words. Loyalty was one of Juvia's best qualities, Gajeel knew that. He had observed her loyalty toward Gray over the years, constantly sticking with him. That was admirable. But now that he was certain that she'll remain by Sting's side forever, there was no point in worrying about the Rain woman: she'll be able to handle this shit.

Nonetheless, Gajeel still felt like a crappy friend – best friend – for not making up to her.

Lily seemed to understand the problem and was about to speak for him when there was a flash of blue and, before both could understand, Juvia was hugging the tall man with her face buried in his muscular chest. Red eyes widened slightly as they stared at the blue-haired woman in disbelief. His first reaction was trying to shove her away but he caught himself, allowing the Rain woman to hug with all her might. Because she needed this. Because he needed this as well – Gajeel needed to confirm that his absence from last time hadn't damaged their hardened friendship. So when he saw her smile reach her ears, he knew there was nothing to get worried about. Juvia had pardoned him before he knew it.

"You truly are the best, Gajeel-kun! Thanks for being here!"

Her smiles had always known how to make the guilt go away, he knew when her smiles spoke the truth or not. And this one he was looking at was speaking the truth. His smirk came back in full force, broad and as happy as Gajeel Redfox could be.

"Gihi, of course I am!" he boasted, his large hand falling back onto her head to ruffle the long, blue locks. "Who do you take me for?"

"An arrogant, walking piece of iron who knows too much about his best friend's whereabouts and activities than he knows about his own – how did you describe this again? – obsession toward his own mate?" Lily suggested lightly, as innocently as he could.

The effect was immediate: Gajeel whipped around to glare at the Exceed, whose amused smirk showed his amusement. "If only I could bash your head with a –"

"By the way..."

Both Lily and Gajeel could have easily ignored Juvia right now and continued their banter over her words, but the sudden and loud rumbling outside was the noise that brought them into a halt. Both the Dragon Slayer and the Exceed turned toward the windows just in time to witness bolts of lightning tearing the now cloudy, darkened sky; there wasn't any rain so Juvia definitely wasn't sad. Laxus wasn't here with them and although he could now affect the weather just like the Rain woman, the Lightning Mage was just too collected and aloof to allow some idiots to make him mad. So that only left –

 _Her smile_. Though she was smiling, Gajeel noticed the very dark look in her eyes and the vein slowly building on her left temple. He froze, his mind whirling and searching for any possible escape for the next three hours or more. This was _exactly_ why he just knew that he shouldn't have been the one to tell Juvia about mating (damn that Sabertooth Dragon Slayer! He _did_ have fucking balls, didn't he?!), he knew she would eventually get upset about the whole ordeal. The storm that will hit this town will be _freaking_ dangerous and if Gajeel hadn't mastered the way to handle his best friend after all these years of friendship, he would have run away a very long time ago.

"...you did say that our mission is to capture pirates that have been raiding towns, am I correct?" Gajeel carefully nodded. Juvia's smile seemed to grow and at the same time, the sky was being torn by dancing lightning and thunderclouds. "Then that must mean there's a high chance that their boats are anchored _somewhere_ in Aqua bay. Good!" she 'happily' chirped as she clapped her hands together. "I could use some sport tonight. Thank you for being so helpful to enlighten me, Gajeel-kun. Juvia's feeling _a little bit_ better."

The Iron Dragon Slayer chose to remain silent, staring and respectful. Now he knew he had to tread carefully around his best friend for at least the next three hours or more – and hell, he didn't have to turn toward Lily to guess that the Exceed was feeling very apprehensive about the upcoming events; facing the pirates would be an easy task for both mages and the warrior feline but somehow, after listening to Gajeel's explanations about her relationship with Sting Eucliffe, Lily hadn't expected Juvia to feel _this_ angry because those thunderclouds looked quite dangerous – had Juvia performed an Unison Raid with Laxus Dryer lately? If she had, then one might question her sudden 'friendship' with the powerful S-Class Lightning Mage. Especially her mate from Sabertooth.

About the mission? There was a high chance that she would get loose and use all the new techniques she had mastered through her training. The Exceed couldn't help but glance worriedly at the dark sky, wondering what disaster might await their prey.

* * *

"I do not agree on doing this, this is proper violation of someone's privacy," Erza stated clearly, her arms crossed under her chest as she stared at a mischevious-looking Cana who sported a Cheshire cat grin, a fidgeting Lucy who looked as happy as a namazu and an innocent-looking Mirajane with the usual cheerful smile. "She won't like it and you all know that, so why persisting in discovering... _what_ are you even expecting, anyway?"

Cana had successfully managed to get Mirajane, Lucy and Erza – the latter had been resistant as hell – to listen to her idea. A mad, risky idea that might get her on Juvia's blacklist for the next three months but the drunken mage was all the more determined to discover her close friend's secrets; learning that she had given up on Gray and moved on with her life had stunned Cana for a few moments. Lucy had been too starstruck on the idea of finally bonding with Juvia to actually care about the whole predicament and Erza... Erza was being herself: smiling contently while eating her strawberry cake, without a care for the world around her.

The four women stood together near Fairy Hills, assembled in a circle. While Mirajane and Lucy remained mostly silent during the 'discussion of plans', Cana was doing a stellar job at challenging the mighty Titania with her own determination (something she should be proud of!).

Plus: Cana Alberona was actually sober to achieve her mission!

"Something – _anything_!" she exclaimed passionately, still grinning. "While you always take pleasure in playing referee around, I'm almost positive that you'd like to know what's been on her mind as well, about as much as we do. C'mon, Erza: you can't deny a friend's request."

The scarlet-haired knight remained stern. "You're being very nosey, Cana. Why are you so stubborn on discovering whatever you want to find about Juvia's private life? She has given up on Gray and seems fine with that. And you two!" She admonished as she directed her accusing glare on the other two women. Only Lucy flinched and tensed, looking afraid for her life. Mirajane just kept smiling, not even fazed one bit. "May I inquire why you are willingly tagging along in the charade? Lucy? Mira?"

"Err... because I'm curious?" the Celestial Mage timidly answered, still fidgeting nervously under Erza's glare.

The white-haired takeover Mage chuckled. "Just like Lucy, I'm curious. Besides, Cana told me something quite interesting concerning our favorite Water Mage that definitely had me hooked until we discover a clue. You should hear this, Erza."

What could possibly shock Erza Scarlet even more than Juvia actually moving on?

"Spill it," she urged after a few seconds considering this.

Cana suddenly leaned toward the knight, her expression becoming even more mischevious and her Cheshire cat smile widening. Whatever it was that made the brunette this excited, it _couldn't_ be _good_.

"Laxus. It's _Laxus_ , Erza," she whispered-screamed excitingly. "He's been crashing at her place for quite some time now – I'm surprised you haven't noticed that at all, how did he get past you anyway?"

There were few things that could shake Titania Erza, very few. Natsu going on wild rampage somewhere during a mission was something she had grown accustomed to. Natsu vanquishing Jellal at the Tower of Heaven years ago was something else that had amazed her. Natsu taking care of the Twin Dragons, Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney, all by himself had been incredible as well. That was Natsu Dragneel after all, this Dragon Slayer would only manage to surprise everyone. But _Laxus_. And _Juvia_. In her apartment. Erza's brain seemed to have definitely frozen on that thought, as crazy and inconceivable as it was; the stern look faded from her face to show a blank, stony face while Lucy expressed herself in a more explicit way.

" _What_?!" she shrieked, shocked. " _Laxus_? _Our_ Laxus? W-w-with _Juvia_?"

Cana shot her an annoyed look. "Oi, oi, now who said he's screwing her? You might want to hold your horses and stop that crazed imagination of yours, you're writing too much. Sheesh, it looks like Levy's getting to you even more than I originally thought."

"Well," Mirajane chirped in, a twinkle in her enchanting blue eyes and an excited grin widening on her lips. "we don't know that for sure: Laxus and Juvia are an unlikely pair, they rarely talked to each other before the Grand Magic Games. I think something must have happened between them, but _what_? That I don't know." She sighed in disappointment. "She left with Gajeel before we could tease her about it and they won't be back until Saturday."

"I know exactly what we should do!" Cana pointed at the blonde Celestial Mage with a wicked grin. "Since I'm sober and clear, he won't even let me approach him and will immediately get suspicious. Sorry for having to sacrifice you in order to find out Juvia's dirty little secrets, but we need a bait. And guess what, Luce: you're the perfect bait!"

"Do you want me to get shocked!?" Lucy was scandalized, wide-eyed. "We're not even close friends like he seems to be with Juvia, he'll fry me to a crisp!"

"Laxus ain't crazed anymore, you won't die... you'll just get shocked, is all."

" _That's the point, Cana_!"

"Stop talking!" Three sets of eyes turned toward the red-haired woman, whose brown eyes were shadowed by her bangs. "So Juvia... has been 'seeing' Laxus for some time, is that correct?" Cana made a sound of agreement, followed by a ' _wonder if they're really screwing..._ ' that Erza didn't bother scold. She took a huge breath, then raised her head to look at the three women. Her eyes were hard. "This is a serious matter here: no one else has to know about this. You won't talk about it to _anyone_ except each girl in this group right now – no one. _Else_. Is that understood?" When they all nodded, Erza turned toward Cana. "I hope you seriously know how to lockpick a door, Cana. Wouldn't want your astounding drunken mind to black out on us even if you claim to be sober."

The brunette threw her head back as she laughed, pumping her fist in the air triumphantly. "Atta girl!"

No, she wasn't going to get back at Erza for doubting her abilities as a 'burglar'. She wasn't suicidal. Not at all. It was just the rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins. And the scheming women were so obviously excited by their plans that they had failed to notice one speck of a white coat near them, its owner sporting a strange expression on his face.

* * *

It almost looked like night had fallen quicker than Maverick Roarshor originally thought in this part of Ishgar; the sky was completely covered in very dark, thick clouds and he could hear the rumbling of thunder not far from his location. The pirate captain cursed, scowling. A storm, a very nasty one, was going to pour some hell and shit all night. Maverick growled loudly as he stood up from his seat, his eyes wandering toward the town. _Something powerful is coming this way_ , he thought. It wasn't just a storm, he knew it as a skilled navigator himself: whatever the hell was heading this way couldn't be natural. Not with these thunderclouds hovering over his head like this!

Pearl City had sparkled his attention weeks ago when he had heard rumors about cargos filled with splendid pearls that had the most beautiful colours ever seen – a nice jackpot that could make him rich, since life at sea was rough all the time. He and his whole crew hadn't been disappointed at all, there _were_ cargos full of pearls stuffed into the basement of the city hall. The raid alone had been a success and they had been ready to leave Pearl City when news of other cargos were to be discharged here.

"My, how lucky we are!" he had exclaimed back then, the greedy pirate in him beating the reasonable and careful one.

And they had stayed for days. Cruel mistake. Maverick was no fool, he could sense danger sometimes quicker than he could feel the atmospheric pressure change when sailing the seas; if guilds had sent some mages to take care of them, then he would be expecting some sport very soon. Now that would be refreshing for all of them, since his fleet was composed of five warships with more than a hundred men at his command, all ready to fight and shed some blood. They've been itching to fight lately, always brawling with each other and shouting crap almost every day. Fucking headaches would render Maverick quite restless and snappy, which didn't fit him as both the captain and navigator of his crew. The navigator always had to remain calm –

"Captain, look!" one of his men exclaimed, pointing at something above the mast.

– when sailing the seas and especially when they should be expecting some action. " _What_?" he spat irritatingly, raising his head to look at what they were pointing at.

Maverick found himself stunned at the sight of a woman hanging on a hook of the mast by one hand and he gaped, speechless. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but describe her attire and looks: he had encountered many women during his travels but none had looked as appealing and delicious as this one right here. Her long, blue locks flew around her as there was a somewhat wild breeze blowing. She was wearing a sleeveless, baby blue turtleneck that also served as a dress and clung to a very curvaceous and mouth-watering body – Maverick couldn't tell his men to shut the hell up at his men whistling at the sexiness she was blatantly giving them because he was ogling her long, toned and slender legs himself. Knee-length black boots with heels covered the breath-taking sight that Maverick Roarshor was so used to with the flings he's had before sailing here. From his position he couldn't see any guild mark, not on her exposed arms and thighs but again, she was positioned in a way so that he wouldn't see everything.

But two questions remained.

"How the hell did that chick get up there without us noticing?" the captain's first mate wondered.

"And _why_... is she looking at us as if she wanted to skin us alive?" another croaked, uneasy. Maverick could tell, without even looking at him, that he was pissing his pants.

And he definitely could understand why: the blue-haired was indeed staring at them with the fiercest look Maverick had ever seen on a woman – and _gods_ , that was such a turn on. Her dark blue eyes were drilling holes into each pirate's skull, certainly counting them, before they landed on him and the captain blinked, silently inquiring. What was the sexy lady up to? Was she trying to pull a prank or something? Her free arm raised slowly from her side – a very graceful movement that Maverick couldn't help but admire – and pointed toward the sky. Confused and certainly intrigued, all heads followed suit and looked above them.

The pirate captain's grey eyes widened in disbelief. "W-what in the world?" He couldn't believe his eyes.

There was a large – a _insanely_ large – bubble of water floating above the ship. If he squinted his eyes, Maverick could notice small drops of water raising from the sea itself and uniting with the monster bubble, as if gravity was working around them all and playing with the elements. It wasn't just that, Maverick suddenly noted that the water also seemed deeply perturbed: it moved brutally around the fleet, rocking the ships in a dangerous way that would make someone from his crew fall. He gripped the railing with gritted teeth, realization dawning on him like a powerful hammer: one, the blue-haired beauty was a mage and – _damn, Fate was a_ _great_ _bitch to him on this one_! – a powerful one as he know sensed great magic swirling dangerously around the bay. Two, she was a Water Mage and since they were on water –

"Damn!" Maverick cursed as he unsheathed his sword. "Guys, draw your swords and expect to fight! She can't be alone!"

There was a loud roar as everyone drew their swords, excitement filling the air despite the storm. A battle with a Water Mage was suicide, especially if she was a powerful one, but where would be the fun if pirates were to cower and back off like chickens? Maverick Roarshor smirked widely as he locked eyes with the stranger on his ship, falling into his attacking stance.

"You're picking a fight with the wrong pirate crew, love!" he snarled to her. "How about you come down here and we dance together, hm?"

A rude, yet convincing invitation that always excited ladies whenever Maverick hit on them. She slightly tilted her head on the side, contemplating. Then narrowed her eyes, her ire seemingly increasing.

"Bubble Shot!" was all she said.

The pirate captain first felt a slight burn on the left side of his face, just bellow his eye before hearing the sound of broken wood right beside him, stopping him dead on his tracks. Maverick felt his eyes widen in surprise despite himself as he slowly, _slowly_ turned his head to see _what the hell_ had nearly shot him and he was welcomed by the sight of a hole in the wooden deck just inches away from his position. The hole had a round shape like a sphere, the size of a hand. His heart missed a beat as he realized something and he began to sweat. He hadn't been able to see that, he hadn't been able to decipher what in the world had sliced his skin (because it was bleeding from the cut.), it had flown at a frightening speed. Had he been on the trajectory of whatever the devil that created that hole on his deck, he would have been right in the face and maybe _could have died_ on the spot!

"Whoa, what the fuck –" Flynn, his first mate, started to yell in shock.

Juvia merely drew her arm down, formed a sign with her hand as if she was holding a gun and grinned malevolently at her prey.

"Infinity Bubble Shot!"

Her attack rained on the pirates at a frightening speed, which delighted her – so her training wasn't in vain after all! Watching them run around like headless chickens, jump like frogs and scurry away from the deadly shots was even amusing but what really thrilled Juvia was the power of her _Infinity Bubble Shot_ : while it truly looked like rain, the bubbles inflicted real damage to the ship as she could hear multiple cracks from the broken deck. Some of her bubbles fell upon her but since she was made of water, they just flew past her and continued their road down to either shoot a pirate or damage the ship. The Water Mage smiled in spite of her anger, satisfied.

The large water bubble she had created finally ran out of her element and Juvia, feeling like punching something instead of only using magic before the main ship sank from her _Infinity Bubble Shot_ , shifted her weight to her legs onto the mast and shot herself down. She felt the rush of adrenaline running through her veins, sending her incredible jolts of unknown excitement she had never felt before – had it always escaped her ever since she started liking Gray? Because it was just fantastic! She spun in the air thrice and then, when she knew she was about to crash into a pirate, drew one leg to send a powerful kick in the face (before making contact, she concentrated her magic to two parts of her body – her legs – just like she had done so for weeks prior to this job request). The impact made the pirate fly back but before he could be sent away, those who had recovered from the first move witnessed the horrible and frightening effect of that magical kick; his body instantly dried, rendering the body skinny and bony. The skin lost its original colour, becoming dark and all sickly. As if all the water had been sucked out of him.

Juvia didn't dwell on this and carried on. "Royal Drain!" she sang as she gracefully and fluidly kicked another pirate with the same technique, her body leaping way too quickly for anyone to react.

She needed to be quick; the noises the Water Mage could hear didn't sound too good. The ship was going to sink anytime soon, taking the pirates down with it. Juvia landed a well-rounded kick on a man's side, absorbing the water in his body, flipped onto her hands to spin around herself quickly to kick a group of thugs who had tried to corner her. Each time she landed onto the broken deck, the wood cracked and complained from all the fighting. The last move had the last pirate standing sent into the mast, all dried up and terribly weakened, then she whipped around toward the closest ship from captain Maverick Roarshor's fleet. _More_ , there still were more of them.

She ran toward the railing, jumped nimbly on it and took a deep breath. _Breathe in, breathe out_. Then she bent the water to ther will to reach her next preys, the air blowing in her hair.

"Shoot that bitch!" she heard someone scream.

Even before Juvia could react there was a black blurr shooting past her, aiming toward the ship. She heard a very familiar laugh as the 'black blurr' prepared his own attack. He crashed onto the deck, breaking the circle of pirates that had gathered around to shoot the Water Mage.

"Go maim the other ships, Stormbringer!" Gajeel roared, a wild toothy grin lighting up his face and expressing his joy at bringing chaos to the pirates. "There's enough fish for the three of us."

 _Stormbringer_. Juvia giggled and smiled widely as she nimbly jumped on the other ship, already scaring the underlings. Now that was a nickname she could grow to love, even better than Juvia of the Great Sea. _Stormbringer_. She landed gracefully on the deck before three pirates, water swirling around her as if she was summoning a whirlpool.

"Thank you for this dance, captain Maverick Roarshor," Juvia declared, eyes sparkling. "It was excellent and releasing, you truly know how to deflate a woman's anger. You may stop smirking, gentlemen."

The pirates, despite quivering in fear before the mage, still attempted to land a hit on her.

On this day, Pearl City could witness the biggest stream of water shooting up toward the sky from Aqua Bay they had ever seen. And since this was a premiere, all the citizens could feel was awe and amazement; the phenomenom was just incredible, far too alien and mesmerizing to be of natural cause. It almost looked like a gigantic waterspout – a gigantic waterspout that looked so magical.

 _Stormbringer_. Gajeel was right: it fitted her very nicely. And her _Drill Waterspout_ had worked quite well.

* * *

 **Author's Note 1:** _Woho_! Thank you so much for all your reviews, to all who favorited and followed my story. It's like drugs. And I'll just feed you with more chapters of **Your Burning, Beautiful Light** as long as you tell me your opinions about the story. Thank you, once again!

 **Author's Note 2:** True, her obsession with Gray Fullbuster is frustrating. Especially when she's such a powerful mage that could become even more awesome with the magic she uses – water! Do you know what you can do with water?! Almost everything! In **One Piece** , there's a high chance that Juvia Lockser could have become an incredible, nearly invincible pirate. She could have become friends with Boa Hancock – let's be crazy and think that Juvia had joined the Seven Warlords. What do you think?

 **Next Chapter:** _Misguided_.


	3. Misguided

**Summary:** _"_ _Who makes you moan? Who makes you scream in pleasure and joy? I. Fucking. Do._ _What's mine is mine and sharing isn't an option_ _I'd even_ _have the idiocy to consider."_

 _After the Grand Magic Games, Juvia_ _Lockser_ _took time to reflect on her life – including Gray Fullbuster. Something she wouldn't have done on her own since she was always caught up in her fantasy._ _It hurt like a bitch to realize that a one-sided love would never be returned, it truly did. And moving on was even harder to do. But still, Juvia swore to do so._ _Somehow, there's a way for everything._

 **Genre:** _Drama/Friendship._

 **Disclaimer:** To say that Fairy Tail belongs to me is pure fantasy. Hiro Mashima remains the creator and has all the rights.

 **/!\ Warning: This fan-fiction has tons of smut and I won't tell when and where you'll read them in those chapters. I'm unpredictable, huh! Minors have been warned and if you're caught off guard...remember that this fan-fiction is rated M. Read the summary carefully before launching yourself on this story.**

* * *

… In which Gray Fullbuster is starting to wonder about Juvia Lockser's behaviour, different and stranger than usual, her 'relationship' with Laxus Dryer after hearing some rather disturbing things.

… In which Gray Fullbuster is also trying to reflect on his friendship with the Water Mage, intrigued about her absence near him for the last weeks, and receives Natsu's 'help' on the matter.

… And in which Sting Eucliffe and Juvia Lockser finally get to talk about the 'Dragon mating' thing. Without having sex?

[ **I still don't know why, but I've been** **listening** **to** _It's Not Over_ **of** Chris Daughtry **while writing this chapter. Wanna check it out** **if this fits** **?** ]

* * *

 **Chapter Three:** _Misguided_

* * *

 _That's strange_. Usually he wouldn't care since it had almost become a tradition in the guild to have her stalking him around but right now, Gray Fullbuster finally admitted that something was amiss; somehow it felt a little cold not to have Juvia around. Although he'd mostly be a little annoyed by her presence at first, the Ice Mage had gotten quite used to it and even started to appreciate her spirit. She was like a breeze of fresh air, a caring and loving person trapped inside the dark and emotionless front he had battled during the feud between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail. Now her smiles carried around genuine, free feelings she mustn't have known she's always had. It made Gray quite proud of having shown her what friendship especially meant in a guild that had always used it as a force to overpower and defeat their enemies. Juvia had told him, very shortly after the end of the Grand Magic Games, that she was forever grateful toward him for showing her the light in the endless darkness she had put herself in. Her attraction toward the Ice Mage may be overwhelming and unbearable sometimes but, if he were to be honest with himself, Gray Fullbuster would say it was heart-warming to have someone as loving and caring always making sure he was alright and had everything he needed. _This_ was Juvia Lockser of Fairy Tail, powerful Water Mage whose loyalty, will and determination were made of hardened steel.

However, Gray had noticed the changes. It had been understated at first, but it had then quickly become radical and so sudden that he hadn't seen everything coming; days had gone by without the warm presence of the Water Mage by his side, talking or smiling to him. He still could see her somewhere in the guild, having a conversation with either Lisanna and Mirajane, Lucy – surprisingly, since they now seemed to have a good time together – and Cana. She would smile sweetly at them, become almost as bubbly as the Celestial Mage when she was in a good mood. This particular yet encouraging change had happened before she went on a mission with Gajeel and PantherLily and while Gray had found it quite suspicious at first, he couldn't help but admire how Juvia both appeared and sounded so sincere with the one she had considered as a 'Love-Rival' or whatever the hell she meant by that nickname. Had she finally acknowledged the friendship she could have had with Lucy from the beginning? It would seem so. That thought had, curiously, pleased him. But when he had thought she would have directly flown to his side Juvia had remained with the blonde, unperturbed and still laughing. She hadn't even glanced his way.

 _That's different._ Gray couldn't say he knew everything about love between a man and a woman, he couldn't remember much about his childhood because Deliora had destroyed what he had once held dear to him – his parents, Ur. Now Ultear was also out of his life, finally at peace with herself and having become an old woman due to the consequences of using such a powerful spell. Her sacrifice had rendered him quite gloomy for some time before Juvia reminded him to smile – only _Juvia_ had been able to see past his cold front when they were going back to their newly-built guild. How she was able to do this while still acting crazy was beyond Gray's imagination but, her obsessive and craziness aside, Juvia Lockser knew how to act as a real friend. As the weeks went by after Fairy Tail's victory at the Grand Magic Games, her absence near him had become even more noticeable and suffocating; shouldn't enamoured people always stick by their loved ones? Shouldn't Juvia be doing this instead of going MIA on him? Because that was what she has been doing for the past few weeks. And Gray Fullbuster wouldn't admit it out loud, but it kind of _hurt_. He didn't know what was that clenched sensation around his guts whenever he would wonder about Juvia's absence and constant ignorance, it was something akin to this sadness he would usually feel upon thinking about Ur and the possibilities that could have happened had she survived Deliora and not used Iced Shell to seal the mighty demon.

 _Some kind of void even he couldn't fully describe_.

It was frustrating enough to remind himself that Erza had advised him to sort out his feelings for the resident Water Mage since hers were so obvious by her actions, but what was even more 'painful' was the fact Juvia seemed to be content with her current behaviour and had carried on after she and Gajeel came back on Saturday. Without as much as sparing him a glance or a smile – even a tiny 'Gray-sama' would have made him pleasantly grumpy. Essentially grumpy, but in a _pleasant_ way because deep down, the Ice Mage had grown to like her greetings. He would see that loving look in her dark, blue eyes, that beaming and dreamy smile she would always send him. And Gray would also feel her cheerful mood that became now very infectious around Lucy, Erza, Cana and Mirajane. Somehow he felt very envious. Jealous? He wouldn't admit it, his pride wouldn't allow him to.

"I... don't understand," he heard himself muttering on this Saturday afternoon, his voice low enough for him to register his own words.

Confusion and frustration clouded his mind and expression and although he managed to hide all this behind a cool mask, Gray wasn't going to lie to himself that long – there was something fishy about the Water Mage and he had this nagging feeling that this was linked to the strange conversation he had overheard the other day; he'd been about to continue his path down toward his apartment when he had heard Cana's words. To say he'd been shaken would be the most pitiful understatement he would have ever heard in his life.

" _Laxus. It's Laxus, Erza," she whispered-screamed excitingly. "He's been crashing at her place for quite some time now – I'm surprised you haven't noticed that at all, how did he get past you anyway?"_

Maybe he should have just kept walking, maybe he should have snorted at the idiocy and stupidity of Cana's words (she was, after all, overly idiotic when intoxicated with too much alcohol running in her system. So her thinking that Laxus might be 'seeing' Juvia? Bullshit. Drunken, drunken bullshit.), maybe he shouldn't have given a damn about that, maybe he should have tried hard to erase those fucking words from his head but his mind had suddenly blanked out, forcing him to replay Cana's words all over again. He hadn't even been able to walk back home at once because this information had shaken the living daylights out of him to the core – _Laxus Dryer_ spending time at _Juvia_ 's apartment? What the hell had possessed Cana to even _think_ about that?

Gray roughly shook his head, scowling. _Laxus and Juvia_? Unthinkable.

But the more he observed her with his eyes, the more he was thinking that Cana might not be as idiotic and delusional as he thought. Because there was proof of a born friendship between the two of them and Gray hadn't been paying attention to notice this a little earlier; there had been the closeness and the gestures, the laughter and the smiles – something that good friends were used to because they got along so well. Gray had witnessed the blonde Lightning Mage sporting a brand new set of headphones, different from his previous ones before they were destroyed but with a better style that suited him perfectly, and Laxus had flashed Juvia a smile (a gesture that had shocked Mirajane, who had been watching them from afar, because this was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen on Laxus Dryer's face for a very long time.) to thank her. Something very primal had awoken inside Gray's chest, burning and accelerating his heartbeat in an incomprehensible way he couldn't describe, and the Ice Mage couldn't even pinpoint exactly the cause of this disturbing feeling.

Laxus had never interracted with Juvia before the Grand Magic Games, where they'd been put in the same team to compete. Gray had thought that since Makarov's grandson had done quite a number on all of them seven years ago during the Battle of Fairy Tail, the Water Mage would have been very wary of him; she'd been hit by lightning, had endangered her own life to spare Cana from being hurt and could have hated him. She truly could have. But it turned out that Juvia Lockser had a bigger heart than he thought: even though he hadn't heard of the discussion they must have had before this friendship was born, Gray knew that she must have struck something in Laxus' heart and soul to be at ease and this sincere around him. After all, the beautiful bluenette had that kind of power within herself to do that to a formerly 'evil' guildmate. Juvia had grasped the meaning of friendship quite quickly and must have indulged it in the blonde's head, since he was always smirking gently in her way. But the two of them _together_? As in 'hooking up'? It was _really_ hard to picture them together but, if he were to think about it for a minute or so, Laxus and Juvia could work pretty well; she was known as the Rain woman – or the 'Stormbringer' now, according to the mayhem she had unleashed onto the pirates in Pearl City along with Gajeel. _Sorcerer's Weekly_ was damn fast on recording facts. Something must have greatly pissed her off to bring up such a storm in Aqua Bay – and the Mage who could bring more than just rain when she decided to fight for what she held dear, while Laxus was immensely feared for his excellent mastery of lightning (and the fact that he was a Dragon Slayer also added to the power he exulted.). _Water and lightning_. Mix these two kinds of magic together and you could obtain _a lot_ more than just a powerful storm. Juvia Lockser and Laxus Dryer could be a pair – that is, if there was something much deeper than just friendship between them as Cana had so eloquently suggested...

" _Is there something going on between you and Juvia?" Gray had suddenly blurted out to the older blonde before he could stop himself, standing firm in front of him._

 _Maybe he should have kept his damn mouth shut, maybe he should have just minded his own business because listening to Laxus' exploits with a woman was plain boring and gross, maybe he should have tried to ignore the burning jab of annoyance in his chest when he passed by the lightning Mage's table, maybe he should have tuned out his conversation with Bixlow when Laxus had pronounced Juvia's name more than four times, maybe he should have just kept walking toward the exit and get his job done but somehow, Gray hadn't listened to his reason and had faced Laxus head on, demanding – or asking, according to the Ice Mage's words of explanations to Jet and Droy. The blonde had looked unimpressed or unperturbed, arms crossed over his powerful chest, but the glint in his bored eyes had told Gray that he was as curious as suspicious. Bickslow had chosen to remain quiet, interested in the show before him. It had been a long time since anyone had picked on his blonde friend._

" _And what if there is?" Laxus had replied nonchalantly. "It's not like you ever gave her an indication that you might like her, isn't that right?"_

 _It was. Laxus had a point right here, Gray had always brushed Juvia off and told her to give him some space. She could be as sweet as a loving mother when she wanted to but, all this clinging and gifts, this was a bit too much from her. So why did that bother him that Juvia was this close to Laxus?_

 _The Ice Mage had narrowed his eyes at him. "Stop fucking with me and answer this damn, simple question, Laxus: is there something going on between you and Juvia?"_

 _The Lightning Mage had still remained composed and infuriatingly placid, to Gray's annoyance."This isn't your damn business, Frost," he had answered. "Why should I even give you an answer? So you could be reassured that I'm not toying with Juvia? Please, tell me you're joking: since when did you actually start caring about her well-being?" He had leaned closer to Gray, scowling in annoyance. "It's been weeks since she left your side, Gray. **Weeks**! Yes, Frost. I've noticed that as well and I'm sure as hell I'm not the only one here who has seen the changes in the sexy Water Mage's behaviour," Laxus had sneered mockingly at Gray's surprised expression._

 _The blonde had snorted, disdainful, and leaned back in his chair._

" _As I said, this isn't your damn business and I'm not enclined to respond just because you demand an answer. You want to know? Grow some fucking balls, go talk to her and stop wasting my time." Then he snarled at Gray, scowling harshly. "Scram, Frost."_

Gray grounded his teeth. That hadn't been satisfying; Laxus had practically toyed with his emotions without actually giving him an answer – a game that he had always been good at. He wasn't even close to know what kind of relationship the Lightning Mage and Juvia shared, the latter frustrating him because she kept ignoring his glances and stares at the guild. And if he tried approaching her whether she was alone or not, Gajeel would suddenly pop up by her side before Gray could get close enough, succeeding in irritating the Ice Mage for ruining his chances to talk to Juvia. But what ticked him off was the glare the Iron Dragon Slayer would always send him; it was as infuriating as curious. He had no intention of hurting the bluenette or lash out at her, he just wanted to talk, so why the hell was Gajeel giving him the evil eye? As if he wanted him to stay away from his best friend?

"Tch!" Now he was in a foul mood. He scowled, standing up and getting ready to leave. "I'm going back home and rest a little," he declared coldly, not even bothering to search for his coat (he wouldn't know where that damn coat went, anyway. Like always.). Lucy and Erza looked up at him, questions in their eyes. Natsu was, surprisingly, gazing at him with a serious expression.

"You alright?" the blonde Celestial Mage asked, a worried frown setting on her pretty face.

Was he alright? What a damn, stupid question to ask since he had been looking sour for a few days now; Gray had been hammering his head with all thoughts concerning Juvia or Laxus, their so-called 'secret relationship' or whatever the devil that really was and the mysteries behind the Rain woman's different behaviour toward him. It was like she had completely forgotten about her infatuation to focus her mind on... on _what_? Something else – _someone_ else? It took the Ice Mage all his self-control not to sound too cold toward Lucy as he answered.

"Hm." Then he walked away, eventually leaving the guild.

He wasn't alright, he didn't need to say it aloud. But Gray certainly didn't want to talk about it with Lucy – and especially not _Erza_ , since she was the one who had told him to sort out his feelings toward Juvia. He was already confused, greatly and frustratingly confused by all this mess jumbled in his head after imagining all kinds of freaking scenarios in his mind thanks to Cana; was there something going on between Laxus and Juvia since he seemed to be, besides Gajeel since he was her best friend and the one who truly knew her, the only male who had ever penetrated in her apartment? This was the sole and most frustrating thing that kept bothering him – and why this was bothering him, he didn't know. Probably wouldn't, since Gray Fullbuster had no idea how to interpret and describe his friendship with Juvia Lockser. He thought of her as any friend and guildmate of his, no more and no less. But then again, there was that suffocating feeling that had been gnawing at him for a few days since he overheard Lucy, Erza, Cana and Mirajane getting all excited about discovering Juvia's and Laxus' secret. And if Gray were to be honest with himself, he would say that it had been a long time since he last felt that sense of emptiness in him.

When was the last time he had felt _that_ lonely? And 'gloomy'? He truly couldn't say since he was around his team most of the time, either brawling with Natsu or losing his clothes due to him stripping without noticing the damn thing. Gray growled under his breath and kicked a rock out of his way, taking the path back home. _Fucking problems!_ He truly was at a loss in here: usually, he wouldn't give a damn about girls hooking up with guys within the guild – that was Mirajane's expertise field and one of her main hobbies. Gray himself had been involved with someone, careful enough not to hook up with anyone he knew at Fairy Tail (because there was a possibility that it would end up in a messy, bloody feud between friends and although he used to make use of his popularity among pretty girls to have some fun, he wasn't doing sex-friends anymore. Friendship always came first at Fairy Tail, Gray certainly didn't want to ruin anything in the second family he had found years ago after Ur's death.) and quickly ending things before they could get started, but he had never really felt so lonely. Sure, there were his cherished friends from the guild who would always have his back no matter what – such truly amazing, strong friends he had – and Gray would do anything to protect them. That was a sworn vow he had taken upon receiving the guild stamp. And then there was Juvia. Sweet, caring Juvia Lockser who would always remain by his side no matter what.

 _Where was she now?_

He scowled slowly. Hell if he knew.

* * *

Gray had been staring at his ceiling for quite a while now, the silence in his apartment somewhat comforting. It had always helped him to think things through to stare at the ceiling in the peacefulness of his environment, where he would sometimes find solutions to problems on his own and sometimes with the help of his trusted friends. Stark naked and finally at ease because he was in his quarters and safe from idiots screaming at him for shamelessly showing his birthday suit, he found himself lying in his bed and racking his brains to describe and understand his feelings toward the Water Mage. Gray was friends with Juvia, he was certain of it; there had been enough proof of their bond over the years they had worked and fought together, of the times they had watched each other's back when fighting for their life. He had protected her like any friend would do against an enemy and he was aware she had done the same during her battle with Meredy back at Tenrou Island seven years ago – the Ice Mage had admired and praised her courage to hurt herself in order to break Meredy's spell, because that was something he would done as well. Now Gray wasn't sure how exactly Juvia had defeated the pink-haired girl back then, but one could guess that her heart and soul had worked their magic once again. She had a knack for it (Fairy Tail had uncovered Juvia Lockser's brightest side from the darkness and, though he wouldn't admit it, Gray was proud to have been the one to show the Rain woman her very first sight of the sun. She was always grateful for that and would always be.).

Friendship. Protecting. _Caring_. Those were the words you'd always hear from a Fairy Tail Mage, because that was how they managed to defeat their opponents. Each member of the guild was a dear friend that had to protected and avenged once someone had hurt one of their own – many of their enemies had paid for this, Phantom Lord being one of them. Then _Sabertooth_ for torturing Lucy during the Naval Battle just to prove that they were the strongest guild in Fiore and that weaklings didn't deserve a place among them. Gray angrily scowled. That black-haired bitch had _specifically_ targeted the Celestial Mage because she had quickly understood that Lucy would be powerless without her keys, thus she had disposed of Juvia when the Water Mage had been distracted. Juvia had had a pretty good chance of winning the Naval Battle since water was her element – the fact that she could rival Aquarius's power with her own was _amazing_ , even the Spirit had been shocked. She was a terrible threat when she wanted to be one. – and the way she had disposed of everyone else had been great. Minerva Orland had understood that Juvia had been the real and most difficult threat between her and Lucy, so that had just been strategy; once you've eliminated the danger, there's only the weakling left to be taken care of. What Gray hadn't understood was the fact that the black-haired bitch could have used the magic she used on Juvia to teleport everyone out of the giant bubble of water, thus winning this Naval Battle without breaking a sweat and under one minute. Minerva Orland had wanted some fun with the fairies – she got her fun. And had suffered under Erza's care on the fifth and last day. But that didn't erase the fact that she was a very powerful, strategic Mage.

But _Juvia_... she must have felt terrible for not winning the Naval Battle and leaving Lucy with that psychopath. It was crystal clear that her magical abilities surpassed the Celestial Mage's since the latter only relied on the strength of her spirits to win her battles; a distracted Juvia would only result in failure even though she was strong enough to keep up with terrible enemies. Gray remembered the somber, conflicted look in her eyes upon seeing Lucy's bruised body at the infirmery and though he had wanted to comfort the Water Mage, he hadn't budged. He had been later told that Laxus had done this in his stead. _That must have been the birth of their 'friendship'_ , he grudgingly thought.

How the hell had this 'friendship' evolved into something like... being sex-friends? If Gray recollected his memories before the events of the Grand Magic Games, he had never seen Juvia near Laxus – except this time when the Lightning Mage had flashed her a smile to thank her for his new set of headphones. This couldn't have evolved into this kind of an affair that wicked in such a short amount of time, something must have happened between the two of them. And even though Gray was 100% sure that Juvia wouldn't agree to such relationship with another man than himself, there was still the fact that she no longer acted like lovesick fan-girl around him and didn't offer him treats and gifts anymore – _damn_. It stung even more than he had originally thought not to be the center of her attention and care any longer. He roughly shook his head, firm in his belief. No. _No_. She _couldn't_ have agreed to such thing – especially with one big pervert such as Laxus Dryer, he'd do more than just break her heart.

" _Please, tell me you're joking: since when did you actually start caring about her well-being?"_

Gray cringed, clenching his hands into tight fists. As much as he wanted not to take note of Laxus' words concerning Juvia, he still replayed them in his mind. They had this strong sense of truth, which struck him hard in the guts when he thought about them. He hadn't expected Laxus to be this observant – but again, Juvia was hard to miss when she was always hanging around him and gushing about his 'greatness' or whatever the hell she was spouting. This was a bit frustrating to know that someone else than Erza or Lucy had witnessed him treating the Water Mage quite coldly – Gajeel was another story and since the Iron Dragon Slayer would always be ready to beat him to a pulp should he make her cry, Gray was careful with his words and actions. But if there was something going on between Laxus and Juvia, why didn't he seem the least concerned or furious about it? Was there even an affair to begin with? The Ice Mage felt like he was missing something here – something _really_ big if Gajeel Redfox looked proudly and laughed amusedly at a blushing Juvia Lockser when the two of them were together. What had also surprised Gray was the friendly pat Natsu had given the bluenette, smiling widely at her while she had looked a little bit mortified (what in the world was that for anyway?). Maybe he should go ask the Water Mage himself, maybe he should 'grow some fucking balls' and talk to her, maybe he should –

Maybe he should do what Erza had told him to do.

However, Gray was still as confused as clueless about his feelings toward Juvia. He didn't know whether he considered her as just one close friend whose loyalty and personality were very precious or a woman he _could_ grow to love one day. Friend or more than just that? She wasn't close to being a crush but Gray knew he somewhat admired Juvia's qualities; not only she was the third strongest female in the guild, but her selfless and kind nature made her a woman of a kind – Lyon could see it, Gajeel had known it way before all Fairy Tail Mages, _hell_ , everyone now knew that Juvia Lockser was one of the most selfless women around. Her friendship was precious to Gray. Very precious. Would it endanger anything if he were to sort out his feelings? Would it change _anything_ even though something had already changed before he could realize it? All this bullshit was so, so complex he couldn't really think straight for a second.

"Damn it!" Gray cursed loudly, banging a fist on the wall behind him.

Really, he didn't know _why the hell_ he cared so much about Juvia's activities when she obviously made sure to avoid him at all cost. He didn't know _why the hell_ the fact that he thought she was somehow 'seeing' Laxus Dryer rendered him so worked up and upset. He didn't know _why the hell_ the fact that she was avoiding him and giving him the space he had wanted so badly ever since she started clinging to him pretty much pissed him off now. He didn't know _why the hell_ he felt so empty when Juvia wasn't by his side anymore and because of all this bullcrap, Gray had never felt so lost and worked up since –

"Yo. Whatcha up to, Frozen Brains?"

"Huh?" the Ice Mage whipped his head around, startled. He was even more stunned to see salmon hair before him and a speck of blue on the intruder's shoulder, wide eyes looking at him in wonder. Gray blinked, at a loss. " _What the_ –" How the hell did they break in? When the hell did they break in? What the hell are they doing here?

The blue Exceed beamed at him, lifting his tiny paw to greet him. "Hey, Gray! How are you? You seemed kind of upset earlier, so we came to cheer you up."

Gray blinked twice. Natsu and Happy? _Here_? While he was having quite the mental predicament? He couldn't believe it. They broke in his apartment without him noticing or hearing a damn thing – which was rather unusual and annoying – and now that they were here, there was nothing he could say to make them leave. Especially not with Natsu sporting such a serious expression on his face. The Ice Mage felt instantly annoyed and frowned at him. No. He wasn't going to have a conversation with him right now.

"Get out, you Firebringer," Gray hissed silently, knowing that Natsu would hear it. "I'm not in the mood to talk to you."

"I know," Natsu replied calmly. "I just don't care, you're going to listen to me anyway. But put some damn clothes on, I don't need to see that!" he snarled in disgust as he shielded his eyes from the offensive sight of the Ice Mage's naked crotch glaring at him.

Gray was about to throw a snarky remark when he noticed the determined, serene look on the Dragon Slayer's face. He just stared at him instead, any retort falling back into his throat. When was the last time he'd seen Natsu Dragneel looking this serious? Especially when it wasn't about avenging their friends with a good beating? He didn't know whether he should just try to brush him off or let him speak whatever nonsense the Fire Mage was about to say, because if Natsu Dragneel had made all the way from the guild to his apartment, had even taken the time to break in without alerting his sense to talk about serious matters, it just couldn't be good. Somehow Gray felt his body brace itself for the words that will come out of this brash mouth before him, as if he could sense that whatever he was going to listen to would just give him a damn headache. So he just grabbed his briefs, put them on while grumbling in unhappiness.

Happy flew from the Dragon Slayer's shoulder to find a spot on the couch, already taking out raw fish to eat his snack. Gray was in the process of putting his pants on when Natsu's words made him freeze in surprise.

"Why are you so concerned about Juvia's private life all of a sudden?" he asked calmly, arms crossed over his chest.

A sharp intake of breath from the expert stripper ripped him from the intention to speak sarcastically. _Talk about being lectured. And surprised_. Who would have thought that Natsu Dragneel, _of all people_ , had also noticed the changes between Gray and Juvia? This certainly was more than a surprise since that question managed to throw the Ice Mage off; he whipped back to stare at the incredibly composed face of his pink-haired friend and guildmate with wide eyes, stunned to hear such words coming out of his mouth. From Erza or Lucy, this would have been expected and Gray wouldn't hear the end of it if they were the ones to give him a pep talk, but from _Natsu_? He couldn't believe his ears.

The salmon-haired man seemed to guess his friend's question and he sighed. "I heard you lashing out at Laxus the other day, demanding to know if he was having an affair with Juvia. That was... kind of rude from you to barge into someone's business as if you had any right to do that. Now I may not always be on Laxus' side since he's been a major jerk for a long time before reforming himself but... _why_ do you care if Juvia is moving on with someone else? Even if it's Laxus?" His eyes bore into Gray, inquiring and so imperious.

The dark-haired man twitched, feeling suddenly irritated. "That's some big words coming from you, Natsu," he bit back harshly. "Aren't you meddling in my business yourself right now? Really, you could be dense sometimes."

Natsu didn't seem fazed. He didn't even bristle at the words and cold tone, which also managed to surprise Gray even more. What was going on? Who was that person in front of him? "Again, _why_ do you care if don't like the idea of Juvia getting with Laxus? After all, you never gave her any indication that you were interested. _Bloody hell_ , Gray, you don't even reciprocate her feelings and you don't have the balls to tell her that she's not your type. Again, _why_ do you care if she's decided not to be hurt anymore because she's finally grown tired to be lead on and hoping for nothing? She made the best choice for her – moving on and trying to live again without the love she's had for you since the day she'd joined Fairy Tail." His eyes narrowed at a Gray Fullbuster rapidly becoming angry, judging by the slowly bulging vein on his left temple. "Again, _why_ do you care if she's letting go of you?"

"Shut. Up," Gray grounded out through painfully clenched teeth.

"Have you counted the years since Juvia tried to show you how she felt about you? How much she loved you?" Natsu just kept talking, his voice getting a little louder. "It's not just her being a lovesick fan-girl or even an obsessing stalker. It's about _trying_ to be a loyal friend at first, then _hoping_ to become someone _much more_ to you because she cared a lot about your own happiness before hers. From what Gajeel told me, she wanted to know _everything_ about you so she could understand the man called Gray Fullbuster – the man she had started to love because he had been the one to show her something she had craved to see since her childhood." His finger suddenly dug deep in the Ice Mage's naked chest, making him gasp slightly. When had he closed the distance between them? " _You._ You, _Gray Fullbuster_! Aren't you being the fucking coward right now?" he snarled.

" _Shut_. _The hell up_!" the dark-haired man sneered, seriously about to snap. "You don't have the slightest idea of what you're fucking talking about, you absolute numbskull!"

"Oh, _do I_?" Natsu burst out laughing, making Happy flinch and frown in worry. That laugh sounded so mocking, so sarcastic – so _unlike_ Natsu. "That's rich, coming from you. That's really, _really_ rich. At least I'm not the one going off on people after overhearing Cana suggesting that Juvia might be screwing Laxus just because you suddenly thought it weird that she left your side. _Yes_ , Gray, I know that too," he replied mockingly at the shocked look plastered on his friend's face. "It must have been _immensely_ great to have her off of you, musn't it? Oh, I can imagine your relief very well. You could finally have a 'well-deserved' break from the lovesick girl but also probably the only one who cared enough to let you go despite knowing the fact that it would break her. No more delicious food prepared with tender, real love and attention, no more gifts wrapped with care – _no more of her attention at all_ _because you were tired of it but didn't have the balls to shut her down_!" The salmon-haired stared coldly at Gray, the heat coming from his body grazing the Ice Mage's cool skin. His stare was hard, unyielding and merciless – like his words that held a truth just as merciless as painful. He clenched his dragon-like teeth, his fury ablaze visible in those eyes. "And despite your cold treatment toward her Juvia had never lost hope, still had the determination and will to be worthy of your attention. Damn, the gods know she tried so much and so hard. And despite being brushed off so many times, she just kept smiling. And hoping, and fucking hoping that you'd finally open to her about your feelings toward her, whether she'd be rejected or accepted..."

All those words. All those words that held such painful truth.

"... And you know what, Gray? Juvia had realized that maybe, _maybe_ you just weren't worth it. Maybe you just weren't the one who could love her back and accept her wholly despite her 'craziness' like you must have thought so many times over the years, maybe she finally had had enough of you being so vague and freaking fickle toward her when you were so honest toward everyone else." Natsu was unstoppable. "Seriously, what kind of bastard would toy with a woman's heart and lead her on without being clear to her? Are you the kind of jerk who will never grow fucking balls and man up, Gray? I'll bet Juvia had realized this as well, just like _Laxus_. At least he's got some balls to be honest and who knows, maybe he's exactly what she needs; someone who isn't acting cowardly and intrigued because the woman who has been paying him attention for years has suddenly turned away from him..."

They never seemed to stop. Never seemed to have an end. And Gray could feel his own words drowning back down his throat, betraying him.

"... Your sudden jealousy toward Laxus is almost hilarious, Gray. Almost as hilarious as the sense of possession that seems to awaken when Lyon is flirting with Juvia." Natsu certainly didn't miss the flinch in Gray's position and the way his eyes twitched at the mention of his foster brother. He snorted disdainfully, narrowing his eyes. "She could have chosen Lyon instead of you, she could have discovered what it meant to be loved by someone who would have wholly accepted her – both her qualities and her defaults. You have sensed her loyalty, haven't you? That strong, hardened loyalty that had been yours since the day you defeated Juvia Lockser of Phantom Lord? It could have been Lyon's. And maybe it _should_ have been Lyon's since he had the balls to be sincere and bold. _Why_ did you always react that way when he was around? _Why_ did you always react and sound possessive when your foster brother was near her? Do you have an answer for that, Gray? No?" He gave a short, bitter laugh as he shook his head. "Not that I was expecting one. A _sincere_ one, that is..."

Couldn't Natsu shut up? Couldn't he just stop screaming those horribly, painfully true words?

"... It hurts like a bitch, doesn't it? I'm sure Juvia's heart had felt that way when she's decided to move on with her life, because in the end, loving you and being in complete denial would have ruined her spirit one day. _You_ would have unconsciously ruined Juvia – a friend. _Our_ friend. And who would have stopped Gajeel from beating you to a pulp for pretty much reviving the old Juvia Lockser of Phantom Lord, a woman with no emotions whatsoever? Maybe Erza and Levy would have. But that would have been difficult – an angry Dragon Slayer is not to be severely underestimated when his friends' well-being is on the line, Gray."

Natsu finally paused, taking long gulps of air, because saying to finally snapping and shouting to his friend had spent him. But he needed to do this; a friend had been hurting for a long time in the shadows, burying her sadness and sorrow behind smiles that had finally lost their cheerfulness one day when she had come to terms that her love would always be one-sided. Juvia had been hurting and the Fire Dragon Slayer had seen through the act to connect the dots; the bluenette distancing herself from the Ice Mage had been the first thing he had noticed, then the gifts and food, to finally end by the ignorance. It had taken her a few weeks. At first Natsu had been genuinely concerned for her, because Juvia wasn't the kind of woman to just give up on something she absolutely wanted – he had learned that from Lucy, who had been her 'Love-Rival' for nothing. So he had investigated for himself. And he had discovered the reason.

The ice prick wouldn't be able to compare or even be better than this. He really wouldn't be able to man up and compare to what he had found out about Juvia.

Gray had backed away from Natsu, having bumped into the wall behind him. He stared into space, his eyes wide and his throat constricted. Natsu's word were weighing on him like some kind of unbelievably heavy anvil that had been thrown on his back, merciless and as if it was mesuring the importance of his ego; had he really been _this_ oblivious and scornful toward this woman? Had he really been all what Natsu had just told him? All of this? It was more than just disregard – it was total disrespect. And just when he was telling himself that he secretly admired Juvia, Natsu had to come to him and destroy whatever little ego he thought he had. It was incredible that the Dragon Slayer had noticed all that just by observing the Water Mage and her expressions, because he, Gray Fullbuster, had remained painfully ignorant and willingly blind to her misery. Because he had wanted to (he was at least going to admit this.).

 _Yes_. It hurt like a bitch. It truly did.

Friendship. Protecting. _Caring_. Gray swallowed with painful difficulty as the realization of his ignorance toward the bluenette dawned on him and he let himself slide down the wall, his legs giving up. The guilt he was feeling right now was just too great, too overwhelming. Friendship. Protecting. _Caring_. The Ice Mage had ignored this last word in its full glory because he'd been to busy fully enjoying his peace and space for what had seemed a very long time. He hadn't really cared because it had been as if he still could feel her presence somewhere, always watching him. He hadn't really cared because he had thought, in annoyance, that she must have been preparing some kind of cakes just for him. He hadn't really cared because he had thought, at that time, that she would have come back to his side like she always did.

Friendship. Protecting. _Caring_. Gray Fullbuster had fucked up. He had _really_ , _really_ , _really_ fucked up.

"Gray, do you remember the storm that hit and ravaged Magnolia a few weeks ago?" Natsu suddenly spoke up, his voice a little hoarse from all this talking. When the Ice Mage nodded numbly, still speechless and stunned, he sighed. "That was Juvia's sorrow finally screaming her broken heart out to the world." Gray snapped his head up to look at the Fire Mage, surprised. It had been her doing? "It was also the night she's chosen to let you go, to live again before she truly ruins herself for a man who doesn't fully acknowledge her. The storm was wild because moving on is just harder than everyone thought – Juvia got that. And she's had it really hard. She's more reasonable than you think, since she's understood that it was pointless to get your attention." He sighed tiredly, closing his eyes. "What do you think about all this, Gray?"

There was a long, tense moment during which both mages stayed silent and staring at each other. One had finally spent the fury and indignation he's been feeling for a long while after witnessing Gray's fidgeting around the still hurting Water Mage, and the other had been given the most ferocious 'pep talk' through harsh, painful words that hurt more than the punches they usually threw at each other when brawling at the guild. The dark-haired young man was breathing heavily, his face having gone pale from the shock and guilt he was experiencing from being 'mentally beaten to a pulp'.

 _What do I think about all this?_ Gray numbly thought as he tried to process the words in his mind. There was only one word to describe his attitude from the past few weeks toward the sole woman that had always loved him to the point she was ready to give up on him. _She has given up on me_ , he realized as the words sunk in. Juvia Lockser had had enough and her patience had finally reached its breaking point; waiting had made her lose her last nerve. _She has given up on me_ , his mind echoed again as he fought hard to regain control of his senses. He looked at his hands – his fingers curled into tight fists. When he unclenched them, they were trembling. His hands didn't seem to remain still even though he commanded them to do so.

"...asshole," he croaked, picking the first word to sum up everythin Natsu has just said.

The salmon-haired mage sighed once again. "You have no idea," he said. "But we can't change the past, Juvia's made up her mind and doesn't seem to regret it one bit. Unrequited love is good to ruin people's lives. You had cleared her skies for her eyes to see the sun, which had triggered her softer side to come out, and you had darkened them once more."

"I...," Gray tried to talk, but the words wouldn't come out. They were choking him.

"Things are never going to be the same between you, Gray. Even if you did consider Juvia as a friend, you should have at least shut her down once and for all if you couldn't see her as a possible lover one day. Couldn't you have done that?"

He could have. "...Natsu." Gray's voice was dull. "Juvia a-and... _Laxus_ – his name came out in a venomous hiss also laced with disgust – … do you think they...?"

"Possible," the Fire Dragon Slayer simply shrugged. "But I may be misguided. Just like you must be; remember, it's all Cana's drunken schemes and you can't say for sure that Laxus is seeing her. Why do you care _right now_ , anyway? It's not like you have every right to meddle in her private life at this point."

Enough with this shit already, Natsu had already made his point across. Gray simply hummed, ignoring the question. He slowly picked himself up, his eyes sullen and downcast. "I _really_ fucked up this time, heh...?"

Natsu didn't need to answer that question, his silence was more than enough.

* * *

Sunday came with natural, dark clouds that shielded the sun from illuminating Magnolia. They looked ominous and threatening, which made Gray sigh as he gazed through his window with sleepy eyes. It was going to rain – but a storm was also to expect since he could hear a rather loud rambling. Was someone upset? Was _Juvia_ upset right now? The Ice Mage closed his eyes in anguish, feeling miserable.

He had a hard time pushing back the guilt and as he made his way toward to the bathroom to get ready, Gray thought about going to see Juvia and... and _what_? That would depend on her mood and how he would approach the Water Mage without being cut off by Gajeel: that Dragon Slayer had been seen almost all the time by her side, only leaving whenever she wanted to go home, and glaring whenever the Ice Mage got too close. Sometimes many questioned Juvia's friendship with Gajeel, because the two of them were so close that one would wonder why they weren't in a relationship instead of going after other people. Gray wouldn't admit it, but their closeness had annoyed him. So far, he couldn't know why. Everything was still confused.

Was it because he somehow secretly cared for Juvia Lockser more than he had originally thought? Natsu's words had beaten some sense into him and he was feeling more than determined to fix whatever he had with her, even if he had to brave a near-death experience from Gajeel, for being the subject of her ignorance was even more hurtful than trying to shun the one who had been by his side for so long. The problem?

Gray Fullbuster had no idea how to make her talk to him. For more than one minute. And he also didn't know how to distract the iron-eating brute – there was Levy McGarden, of course, but Gray remembered that Gajeel could just send his Exceed to talk to the short blue-haired bookworm if he needed to. Distractions be damned, there were too many possibilities to reconsider; Lucy and Erza were out of the equation, for the latter would hound him with unsufferable questions and the former would just scream her head off to tell him how unfair and cold he'd been to Juvia. And he shouldn't forget the fact that the two of them were allied with Cana and Mirajane to discover the Water Mage's 'secret relationship' with Laxus or whatever the hell it really was. Gray couldn't help but growl at the possibility of Juvia being with the Lightning Mage as he got out of his apartment, slamming the door in the process and still frustrated about the whole ordeal.

Fine. _Fine_. He needed answers. He'll clear things with Juvia and... get her back. Somewhat. _Somehow_.

* * *

"She's not here?" Gray repeated dejectedly, his dark eyes now holding a disappointed look.

Mirajane shook her head, confirming one more time.

"Nope, you heard me right. Juvia has decided to spend some time alone and relax today," the white-haired beauty revealed, setting a clean glass down to take another. "The last reward she and Gajeel got was pretty good, so she's off the hook for a little while. Can't blame her, they had literally brought hell to a whole bunch of pirates!" she laughed, amused. "Being called the 'Stormbringer' really has its perks, huh?" Mirajane winked at Gray, smiling widely.

For some reason, the Ice Mage got annoyed at the mention of Juvia's best friend. "Yeah, I guess," he grunted. He wanted to scream in frustration. She wasn't there when he was now determined to talk to her, ready to brave an irate Iron Dragon Slayer and a near-death experience? Damn, that was both disappointing and unnerving. He grunted again, his eyes now gazing at the darkened sky. "Mira, can I have the usual?"

"Right away!" came the cheerful answer.

Just as he was about to ask the older woman something concerning her whereabouts, the rumbling outside roared and roared again. Until the first lightning split the sky in its terrifying glory.

Many groaned in annoyance and exasperation, others wondered if their resident Water Mage was upset – just like Gray at this instant.

"Hey, Laxus!" he heard Jet shout. "Calm down, will ya? It was supposed to be a good day with a friggin' sun!"

Makarov's grandson just scoffed, a scowl set on his face.

"That's not me, moron," he replied. "That's a natural thunderstorm. And I won't take offense if you fail to make the difference between a magical thunderstorm and a natural one, that just means you're an idiot."

"Whatcha say?!" Jet was irate now.

Gray tuned them out, wondering. _So she's not upset?_

Either way, he still had to think of a way to approach her. And he was still at square one.

* * *

Juvia hummed as she leaned closer to the window of her mini workshop, a sharpened pencil in one hand and a pack of large white sheets in the other. So it really was going to rain today; the gathering of those dark clouds in the sky had been quite suspicious and so, in order to get back home dry and warm, she had run at top speed to the bookstore, where the owner had told her they had received her command, and had gone back straight to the dorm while wearing a big, excited smile. The minute Juvia had stepped into the comfortable warmth of her apartment, the droplets were falling like hammers on Magnolia.

The blue-haired beauty sighed, smiling all along. "Lucky me, I guess," she giggled as she went to work.

Turned out that Juvia Lockser had, secretly, always been a fan of oceans and islands (only Gajeel knew about this. Maybe Totomaru as well, since the former Fire Mage of Phantom Lord had always been great at knowing his friends' hobbies.) and she loved to map them on sheets of papers she would preciously keep. Her workshop was full of it; her maps were very accurately drawn, the details so finely added to make it so realistic – at least, as realistic as it could be. Juvia carefully settled her tools onto her desk, grabbed a hold of her cerulean hair to make a messy bun before plopping into her chair to get to work.

Now, _Aqua Bay_. The job request about the pirates had almost made her miss the strange beauty of the dreamy place; there was a mysterious magnificence tied to Aqua Bay when she bent the water to her will and connected her spirit and powers to unleash mayhem onto her preys. The dark clouds hadn't worked in her favour but when she had finally calmed down (because there was a certain blonde Dragon Slayer who was _so_ going to get it once they got together again), Juvia had been able to admire one of the things that built Pearl City's pride and glory. She had asked her partner if they could linger here for a little, because she had wanted to wander around the bay, her doe eyes gleaming and a face splitting grin. Gajeel couldn't say no to her, since she had raised hell onto their targets and got them the reward for this successful mission. Besides, he had had a feeling that she would have wanted to memorize Aqua Bay in order to map it once they got back.

Her pencil danced onto the sheet, following the line of her memory. The dark curves were rapidly growing into something familiar as she concentrated on her work. If Lucy liked writing – her library of books gave her away when the Water Mage had last visited her – then the bluenette definitely preferred recording everything she found too beautiful to let go to waste. _Like a certain Sting Eucliffe_. Sting Eucliffe and his Exceed Lector.

She felt her cheeks go ablaze just thinking about the blonde and, unsurprisingly, her heartbeat fastened considerably. This was disconcerting because after all the stuff Gajeel had told her about mating, she now didn't know how she would react in front of him. Will she jump on him, her lips already hungry for a scorching and searing kiss? Will they talk about Dragon mating before they could get all excited and horny? They should at least talk about the changes that will certainly happen in their lives; Gajeel was already aware of her bonding with Sting and had said 'Better him than the stripper bastard!' to make her understand that the blonde had his approval, the Fire Dragon Slayer had also patted her back with his signature grin, claiming that he was happy she had found someone else. Nobody else in the guild knew about her relationship with the master of Sabertooth. How would they all react to this predicament? The Water Mage, who was previously known as Gray Fullbuster's number one 'love interest', now mated to Sting Eucliffe, their greatest rival's guild master – that would definitely blow everyone's mind off. And she would be lying to herself if she swore that she didn't want to see their stunned faces for a change, because she _definitely_ wanted to.

Juvia took a sip of her hot chocolate, tucking her long, bare and toned legs under her as she contemplated everything that happened those past few weeks. The ball at the Royal Palace had decided that she, Juvia Lockser, wasn't meant to be with Gray Fullbuster; she'd been practicing her magic near the buffet, swiftly switching drinks from distracted people who had been chattering nearby, when Sting had approached her with Lector. He hadn't really given her attention at first because the delicious food in front of him was mouth-watering and the smell was just pure heaven. He was plucking all kinds of dish with gleaming eyes when his attention was distracted by some wine and apple juice swirling together in front of him, as if it were a performance dance.

" _Huh?" he said, blinking repeatedly at the bubbles of wine and apple juice swirling around._

 _Lector was confused as well, but being a cat who loved good performances with magic perfectly controlled, he just grinned widely. "Oh, some sort of show just for us!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. "Who's controlling the water?"_

 _A soft giggle sounded on the White Dragon Slayer's left. "Oh, that would be me," a lovely voice responded. "I shouldn't play with beverages but I'm suddenly feeling quite mischevious. Did I startle you?"_

 _Sting blinked one more time before he collected his thoughts, chiding himself for being distracted that easily. He began to turn his head toward the feminine voice with a small smile. "No, just surpri –"_

 _ **Blue**. Sting Eucliffe had always liked blue, because that was the colour of the sky and his eyes. And the sea. It was meant for people who loved quietness and meditation – something that he liked from times to times. This colour was the epitome of magnificence to the young man and, somehow, Fate had just brought him the very person who would make him feel burning sensations like the ones that were overwhelming his body and mind. Dark, blue eyes turned and stared at his lighter ones._

 _It seemed the world has just stopped around them. There was just this woman all in blue and him. The beautiful, glowing fairy and the fierce, powerful tiger._

 _Sting could have dropped the dishes, because the astonishment and awe he was expressing right now were more important than food. Was she a nymph? Because she truly looked like one, with her cerulean eyes and hair; her dress was coquettish without being this extravagant or trashy, showed a good view of her ample and certainly luscious bosoms and flattered the curves of her waist. Slender, curvaceous and beautiful. She was glowing in front of him and he was enthralled. And his first word to her?_

" _Mischevious, huh?"_

 _The smirk wasn't in place. There was a broad grin on his handsome face. And his beating heart was telling him things – passionate things. Sting Eucliffe was all the more willing to listen._

Juvia giggled, blushing bashfully. He had been quite the charmer, even though she had found him a bit daring and cocky at first. Sting Eucliffe was this handsome young man who, according to Sorcerer's Weekly, had managed to steal Hibiki from Blue Pegasus his title as the hottest male mage around. _Hibiki_! But again, Blue Pegasus was known to have mages who only seemed to share two traits together – being a beautiful model and a wonderful boyfriend. However, what Juvia had seen at the end of the Grand Magic Games had melted the first opinion she had made about her mate; witnessing his tears of joy and relief upon seeing his Exceed Lector alive in the cat lady's arms had made her think again. Gone were the cocky expression and confident smirk, there on his beautiful face was a broad grin that showed much more happiness when he embraced Lector tightly against his chest.

 _This_ , Juvia had memorized.

Forty-five minutes later she was beaming, satisfied with her work. "Finished!" she exclaimed proudly, gazing at her representation of Aqua Bay with sparkling eyes. "Now I can have a nice shower before going to bed!" Then she sauntered out of her workshop, going straight toward her bathroom.

Somehow Juvia could feel a hot, searing sensation pooling in her body as if it were lit on fire and she couldn't put her finger on it. It felt so familiar and... _warm_. She felt like she was embraced in strong, protective arms that would never let go of her body – Juvia definitely knew that feeling. She was just wondering why it was so powerful that she looked like she was about to burst from joy. And as she finished washing herself, the blue-haired woman frowned in quiet musing, wrapped a towel around her body and grabbed another one to dry her hair. Really, it was as if –

As if the man she had been thinking about was here. In her apartment. _With her_.

Juvia shook her head, puzzled. Impossible. Sting was at Sabertooth, certainly busying himself with stuff a guild master had to learn and do – how in the world Master Makarov managed to do this for _years_ was beyond her. So her mate had to master this position, its conditions and consequences before giving himself to the pleasure of rushing to her side. She sighed loudly, making her way toward the dressing.

But she wasn't alone in the bedroom.

There was a soft gasp as the bluenette was immediately and swiftly picked up by her thighs, embraced against a very well-built torso she was wonderfully familiar with since she had spent scores of nights caressing, biting and licking it. _The pull_ , she realized as she suddenly remembered Gajeel's words about the bond between a Dragon Slayer and his mate. This burning sensation inside her chest, her heartbeat accelerating madly and this craving for his arms around her frame – she recognized it all.

Juvia mewled happily when his lips crashed onto hers for a rough kiss and she kissed back with equal violence, cupping his soaked face with both hands. She felt him smirk in their heated battle, his tongue laced with hers and fangs out to nip and bite her flesh sensuously – just the way she wanted him to. His hands, callous and strong, grabbed her bare legs tightly as she wrapped them securely around his waist to feel him even more. The blonde grunted his pleasure, thrusting forward albeit being clothed, and bit her lip. She moaned his name, her flesh ablaze and her thoughts going wild. It was good, _so good_ to have him in her arms once again. At this instant she almost forgot that she was still clad in a towel, that she wanted to sleep, that she wanted to drown herself in dreamland –

That she was pissed he hadn't told her about Dragon mating. Now she remembered why she was angry.

It took all her willpower to disentangle herself from him, flushed and her lips bruised from harsh kissing. "Wait a minute, Sting," she breathed, her eyes regaining their focus.

"Later," he commanded, already claiming her lips once more because he had followed her movement. "Mate _now_." This came out as a hungry growl against her lips.

Breath-taking. Mind-shattering. _Too good_. Juvia groaned and nearly melted when his hands groped her ass. _Hard_. The bluenette reciprocated by digging her nails into his broad, bare and muscled shoulders (when had he taken his shirt and short hoodie off?), making the blonde purr as he grinded his growing arousal against her pelvis in slow, yet sensuous pace. The rascal was seriously intent on doing her right here, right now!

Juvia then commanded her body to turn into her water form and, as slippery as the element itself, escaped her horny mate's strong embrace. She heard him growl in annoyance and scoffed, sliding behind him in her water form before going back to her human body – minus the towel, of course. She quickly snatched some blue shirt at random and put it on, trying to get away from Sting's swift hands and arms. "We need to talk, _mate_ ," she said forcefully as she turned back toward him, her arms crossed under her aching breasts because they demanded attention and a frown set in place. But she was still flushed and hot. _And she wasn't wearing any panties_!

The half-glare he was sending her for cockblocking him on the spot vanished as it was quickly replaced by a slightly sheepish expression. "Shit, Gajeel must have filled you in about Dragon mating before I could, right?" he muttered, brushing a hand in his golden hair. Sting was soaked to the bone; droplets of water were falling down from his muscled torso, the rippling abs enticing Juvia to just go with the flow and let him work his magic on both of them. But she held herself in composure, planting her feet firmly on the ground to prevent herself from launching her body at him. He sighed as he looked at her. "Alright, I kind of... _forgotten_ to tell you that before we mated. The truth is, I was so excited to have found you that the only thing I wanted to do with you was mate – it's instinctive," he quickly explained, his blue eyes trailing down her body with a slight feral smirk.

Juvia gulped, her heart beating a little too fast. "That's... _animalistic_ ," she said, using the word she thought would fit the most.

He chuckled, approaching her with slow strides. The sound, music to her ears, made her breath hitch for a second. "That's just how it is. Besides, you loved it as much as I did, babe," Sting huskily murmured, now standing before her. The Dragon Slayer easily towered the Water Mage but she didn't mind it as she craned her neck to stare at him with doe eyes, awed. He stared back at her, grinning. "Why so furious? I would have told you anyway, Juvia. What's more important is the fact that I missed you and you missed me as well. You may be a fairy but you're an alluring tigress I love to make scream my name in joy and pleasure in bed. Wild, passionate, teasing." His forehead came to rest on hers, their gazes still locked on each other. Her ample, bra-less mounds pushed against his hard torso. "Beautiful. Enchanting. And _mine_."

Sting took her superior lip between his teeth, pulled a little, watching her reaction go from awed to glazed, and he subtly nibbled on it. Her moan triggered another growl from his throat and he wrapped his arms around her, crushing his woman against him. Having a fight with your mate may be as annoying as arousing but, if you were in Sting Eucliffe's shoes, you'd rather think of a way to bypass the problem and make her scream all night. Juvia Lockser and Sting Eucliffe needed sex right the hell now and he was so not going to let it pass this time.

"No cockblocking?" he teased, lifting her by her ass. She wrapped her amazing thighs around his hips, pulling him closer, and caressed his back.

Juvia mewled against his neck, biting and licking to make sure she'll leave a good mark on him. Territorial as well. "Make me scream, mate," she moaned, breathing heavily. "I _did_ miss you."

It was his release. A hungry, lustful growl rumbled down his throat and he dropped her unceremoniously on her bed. The blonde clawed at the shirt and ripped it apart with both hands and teeth, his patience wearing thin. Juvia wasn't going to complain – she was as hungry as he was.

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 **Author's Note 1:** Turns out that I like writing long chapters like these. They are more...intense. Anyway, guys, thank you once again for your feedback (don't stop that, please! That's fuel!), favorites and follows. It means a lot to me!

 **Author's Note 2:** Who wants another omake? There's a poll on my profile, vote for the characters you want me to cast in and I shall do that.

 **Next Chapter:** _The Apartment._


	4. The Apartment

**Summary:** _"_ _Who makes you moan? Who makes you scream in pleasure and joy? I. Fucking. Do._ _What's mine is mine and sharing isn't an option_ _I'd even_ _have the idiocy to consider."_

 _After the Grand Magic Games, Juvia_ _Lockser_ _took time to reflect on her life – including Gray Fullbuster. Something she wouldn't have done on her own since she was always caught up in her fantasy._ _It hurt like a bitch to realize that a one-sided love would never be returned, it truly did. And moving on was even harder to do. But still, Juvia swore to do so._ _Somehow, there's a way for everything._

 **Genre:** _Drama/Friendship._

 **Disclaimer:** To say that Fairy Tail belongs to me is pure fantasy. Hiro Mashima remains the creator and has all the rights.

 **/!\ Warning: This fan-fiction has tons of smut and I won't tell when and where you'll read them in those chapters. I'm unpredictable, huh! Minors have been warned and if you're caught off guard...remember that this fan-fiction is rated M. Read the summary carefully before launching yourself on this story.**

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… In which Juvia Lockser and Sting Eucliffe are almost caught in the act by Lucy Heartfilia who, for some reason, needed to borrow some sugar to bake a cake – since when does she bake?

… In which the two lovers find out that she had been having some visitors in her apartment while being away, decide to get 'revenge' on one of the intruders.

… And in which Lucy may end up helping Gray Fullbuster to fix the damages of his friendship with Juvia (all the while claiming that she doesn't know anything about the Water Mage's relationship with Laxus Dreyar.) or not.

[ **I was listening to** _Bed_ **of** J Holiday **and a remix of the original song with** Nina Sky **while writing this smutty chapter.** **Hihi**. **Please do it as well, guys! And listen to these songs through the whole** **smut** **, please, for they'll serve!** ]

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 **Chapter Four:** _The Apartment_

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Her taste. Her body. Her scent. Her kisses. Her moans. Her screams. Her glazed eyes, clouded with lust and trust. Her writhing under his ministrations, completely at his mercy. The way she moaned his name. The way she produced those amazing sounds when his tongue tasted and teased the inside of her hot cavern. The way she grabbed his hair roughly when both his tongue and fingers played with her bundle of nerves. The way she bucked her hips into his mouth. Her long thighs around his hips. Her fingers dancing in his back, drawing circles of fire on his skin. Her teeth biting his flesh. Her tongue tasting and marking his skin. The way she moaned when he bit and licked the mating mark all over again. The way she stared at him with those hazed eyes, her face flushed from the heat. The way her tongue and hot mouth tortured his searing member. The way her heartbeat became erratic when his lips ghosted over her the swell of her full breast. The way she told him she was completely his.

 _Sting Eucliffe loved it all._

It was unbearingly hot in the bedroom but, as long as the Dragon Slayer could enjoy his blue-haired siren to the fullest, the heat didn't matter. Pinning Juvia under his body he savoured her, his fangs sinking into the flesh of her neck where he had left his mark to show everyone who this woman belonged to and his hands imprisoning hers, their fingers intertwined above their heads. His hips were rolling slowly, yet roughly against hers in a steady pace that made the Water Mage sigh and moan in pleasure – a lovely music to his ears only. His grunts sometimes turned to hoarse moans when Juvia would roll her wide hips to taunt him and he would respond in kind, making his woman whimper. Sting wanted to do it slow and torturing for the both of them, yet painfully delicious and sensual at the same time because he knew that Juvia will definitely make herself clear; teasing her always managed to drive her crazy with lust, which in turn obliged his blue-haired vixen to take command and reverse their positions. Then, she would move and roll her hips in such sensual, magnificent way that made her enthralling in his eyes. His hands would grab her waist to guide her in the movements, digging into the flesh of her ass when sliding downward, his mouth slightly open where moans and curses would escape his lips.

But he wanted a change – another position. Still keeping his lips and teeth latched onto her skin, Sting gathered Juvia in his arms and stood from the bed, making his way toward the living-room. This sudden movement made her wrap her legs tightly around his hips on reflex, but she didn't question his actions – she had grown accustomed to it over their trysts and all the crazy things they had done. _And she loved it all_. Juvia soon felt the cool fabric of the sofa when she was parked against it on her rear, which made her shiver in anticipated pleasure; Sting's hot breath ghosted over her ample chest for a few seconds as she threw her head back in ecstasy, teasing and predatory-like, before diving in and his teeth bit the right puckered nipple. She gasped as he sucked on it harshly while one hand was fondling the neglected breast and the other was working between her legs, fingers pumping in and out slowly to create an agonizingly incredible rhythm that would do well on them. For some time. Sting groaned when he found Juvia so wet. _Wet for him_. Only. Him.

"You've gotten wet and ready so quickly, Siren," the blonde murmured against her nipple, grazing it with his fangs once more and giving it a huge lick before meeting her lips without kissing them. Their breaths mingled, erratic and hot, before they both closed the distance for a bruising, steamy kiss that made them feel the same myriad of sensations between them. Sting grabbed her left leg and hooked it around his hip to get closer to her steaming body, caressing the guild stamp sensuously. He groaned contentedly as he grounded his hips against Juvia's, making her moan loudly and grip a handful of his blonde hair. The Dragon Slayer purred, smirking. "You must have been thinking about me, right? That link... it's amazing, isn't it? Your emotions are just as mine as mine are yours." He stared at her intently between half-lidded, lustful eyes that had darkened minutes ago; her cheeks were flushed from the heat and pleasure he was giving to her, her lips were parted and swollen from the harsh kissing and her eyes were glazed with desire. _Enchanting sight_. The blonde put his forehead on hers, caught her inferior lip between his teeth to bite, suck and lick it.

" _Mmh_...," Juvia just moaned, her eyes closing on their own. She wrapped her arms around his neck to bring him even closer, her fingers entangled in his golden locks. The blue-haired beauty moved her hips in synch with his, deciding to entice Sting as well; since he had come all the way here from Sabertooth, had been soaked by the rain, it was only fair that they should be doing this. She had missed him way too much to tell him to go and she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He growled lowly, his member throbbing and aching to be inside her heated core. "It sure is," she managed to whisper, once he had released her lip. She traced one hand on the muscles of his arm, caressing the limb with care and relishing in sensing him shiver under her touch. "W-where is Lector?"

He took the time to lick her her lips, from the bottom up. _Very slowly_. She bit back another moan, shivering in ecstasy. The feeling itself made her toes curl. "Off with Frosch and Rogue somewhere in Magnolia. I don't care right now, Siren. _You_. And _I_. Need to mate. _Right now_." he stated huskily, already leaning down for another kiss.

The kiss was slow and sensuous, their tongues battling for dominance over the other. How long has it been since they last kissed like this? The last tryst had been both wild and hot because they had let their instincts take over – Sting had definitely preferred it that way. Rough sex between a Dragon Slayer and his mate was grandiose once they were joined together; the sensations that would overwhelm them were always powerful enough to make them forget about the whole world around them, it would just be the two of them. Sting and Juvia, no one else. It was just that enthralling – a sort of hypnotic spell cast upon the two mages so that they would only care about each other. Some would say it was love since that feeling made everything in a relationship better and somehow greater during sex but, between a Dragon Slayer and his mate, it was much deeper and complexed in a way that words wouldn't be enough to explain. Actions spoke so much louder. So when Sting penetrated his woman in one thrust of his hips, he felt his whole body burn in a familiar explosion of delicious sensations that made him growl in pleasure, exactly in synch with Juvia as she cried out upon feeling her lover inside. They both closed their eyes to savour the moment, their features relaxed in an expression of pure ecstasy. Joined together, they felt whole. Joined together, they felt right and as if they didn't need anything else right now. Joined together, they felt each other's bright, burning emotions. Joined together, they could listen to their souls singing their union.

Grandiose. Delicious. Insanely good _. Perfect_ _and right_.

" _Sting_ ," Juvia breathed, hooking her other leg to secure her body around him. Her tone was pleading and she couldn't help but roll her hips against him, lips kissing his urgently. He responded in kind, gathering her once again in his arms to head back toward the bedroom – he didn't need to look where he was going, he knew by instinct. He'd been here enough times to walk around the apartment with his eyes closed. The need was becoming too ardent to be kept inside; the Water Mage needed – _wanted_ to be claimed by her mate. Her thoughts and soul were expressing themselves for her, like a hungry beast that needed to be satisfied until complete exhaustion. "Sting, I –"

He gritted his teeth as he slammed her onto the bed, crushing her soft and perfect body against his muscled one. He hiked one long, slender leg over his shoulder, breathing hard, and thrust fiercely forward. Juvia screamed in pleasure, jolting in his embrace and digging her nails into the flesh of his back. The Dragon Slayer _knew_ , he was aware of their mutual need because it was burning with such ferocious intensity inside of him as well that he thought he was going to explode. It was almost painful, because she felt so damn _good_. As if the dragon inside him had been released from its broken chain, Sting pounded hard into Juvia, one hand around her hip to keep her in check and the other wrapped around the leg on his shoulder. The bedroom was filled with lustful, harsh groans and loud growls, hungry moans and screams from both mates, wrapped in their haze of lust and joy. Soon he slid a hand toward Juvia's cerulean hair, grabbed a handful of it and pulled her into a soul-devouring kiss, to which she answered very eagerly with equal violence and passion.

It was maddening. Mind-shattering. But _perfect_. Sting was barely able to pick up the terrifying rumbling of thunder outside as his tryst with his mate invaded all the corners of his mind; his hips were snapping harshly back and forth against hers, grinding hard. His balls were slapping teasingly against her wet folds – a sensation thrice more wonderful that made him groan contentedly at each powerful thrust – and as his shaft seemingly buried itself deeper and deeper, he felt a burning heat submerging his whole being. It was like a fire was ablaze in the center of his chest, strong and still building up. He _loved_ it. Sting released Juvia's swollen, pouting lips in time to watch her arch against his body and throw her head back, a lustful scream of pleasure escaping her throat as he hit a certain spot. Gods, she was beautiful like this. He feverishly licked and bit her neck, his blue eyes now resembling dark pools of lust and possessiveness. _She was his._

He knew she was close, her walls were tightening around his searing shaft. The blonde clenched his fangs, grunting. Soon she would cum and see thousands of stars, her eyes gleaming in glee and swirling in crazy lust. That was a sight Sting truly longed to see on his lovely blue-haired mate. But he was far, far from satisfied and he knew Juvia would want him again as much as he wanted to ravish her again – he would keep his woman with him in this bedroom if need be, drive her to a fever pitch as many times as possible with his insane stamina. All friends coming to disturb them be damned. You just _don't_ disturb a moment between a Dragon Slayer and his mate, unless you must have some kind of wicked death wish. The thought alone triggered his possessive side and he roared as his pace suddenly quickened, becoming even more violent. The reaction was instantaneous; Juvia jolted once again, her swollen and red breasts bouncing at each thrust (he truly bit her _almost_ _everywhere_ , he noted with dark satisfaction and a cocky smirk. Good.) and screaming lewdly. The bed rocked with them, hitting the wall as the blonde Dragon Slayer pounded like the hungry beast he was into his mate.

" _Sting_!" Juvia's voice laced with lust and need was a lullaby to his keen ears. She was holding onto his shoulders, her nails deeply dug in his skin so that she was scratching him. That was fine; the pain was part of this pleasure between them and rough, fiery sex would always ensure. _Always_. This was how they liked it – _loved_ it.

Sting gave her a particularly strong thrust of his hips and she screamed again, one hand flying to his blonde locks and pulling at it. His smirk was feral, her skin between his sharp teeth. "I know, Siren," he murmured huskily to her, squeezing the reddening skin with enough force to leave yet another mark. "And I'm just getting started." With that he slowly licked the mating mark, intent on biting it once again. It was just so hot and instinctive to do that for him, Sting wanted nothing but mark his territory over here – on his woman and her only. "Tell me you want me, Siren." It was practically a command he was now used to say, because having control over his mate was just damn exciting. He was controlling _everything_ , her body was only responding to him and would only long for him. _Blissful_.

When she moaned his name Sting had to fight the urge to dominate, to possess. She was close, so close to her first climax that it was so tempting to slow down right now. But even he wasn't stupid enough to do something like that, especially when he had no intention of doing so and was on the verge of cumming. The blonde let out a groan as he humped her hard, snapping his hips against hers and making his woman squeal loudly.

"Tell. Me." This one was a demand, enhanced by his bite on her skin.

" _Yes_! Oh _yes_ , Sting!" Juvia cried out both lewly and joyously, arching tightly against him as she finally reached her peak. Sting literally purred when his hot seed shot out inside her as she milked him, one of the most extraordinary sensations they both enjoyed together in their carnal embrace. Their hearts beating in synch they still remained joined, the blonde never stopping his wild thrusts and craving more of his delicious bluenette.

He took the time to breathe when he began to move lazily in her, his heartbeat wild and erratic, putting his forehead against Juvia's. They stared at each other in silence, longing in their eyes and their breaths mingling together. Sweat covered Sting's brow and his back, his skin itching because of Juvia's nails raking it when she was lost in pleasure. Once again the blue-haired vixen found herself staring at him, awed; he was sparkling, as if he had been lit up with a dozen of lamps – no, _stars_. Her breath hitched in her throat and, without thinking straight, lifted a hand to caress his illuminated face. This gesture left the Sabertooth mage quite startled, but in a pleasant way, so he leaned into her palm to enjoy the feeling, blue eyes closing in bliss. It was both nice and comforting to feel her softness after such a violent, passionate tryst. _Sting Eucliffe loved it as well_.

Juvia smiled, blushing. It probably would take her some time to admit it, but she loved seeing him like this; when he wasn't looking at her with those lustful, blue eyes, he truly looked beautiful and handsome in a calm state – such as this one. He had this relaxed expression plastered on his face, his mouth curled into one of his grins she was now familiar were those who were cocky and mocking, wry and grim. But this one...

This one was filled with _happiness_. Because they were reunited once again. Because she was in his arms once again. And that alone was enough to make her heart swell in pride and joy. Juvia smiled widely and pressed her lips to his, her other arm snaking around his neck to hug him tightly.

Sting smiled, elated. "I'm not finished with you, Siren," he whispered, his voice low and husky. He bit her lips lightly, enough to earn a soft gasp, then pulled away after a kiss. "If you'd be so kind to let me show you how much I missed you since our last encounter, you wouldn't be able to walk straight for a week." The blonde released her leg on his shoulder and straightened up a little bit, pulling Juvia along with him.

She breathed slowly, shifting her sore legs so that he could sit up on the bed. Damn, he hadn't been gentle! But was she going to complain when she had missed him as much as he had been craving her presence? She also had been craving his touch, his kisses, his body – everything about him. It must be the bond's doing between them; it must be this strong to make her feel like a desperate, sexually frustrated woman when he wasn't around. Juvia sighed happily as she was flushed tightly against Sting's hard, hot body; since she was caged in his arms her ample bosoms rested against his chest, her pert nipples brushing against his hot skin. Naked and flushed after this first round, Sting had her all hot and ready for him. She nestled her head in his neck, breathing in his scent. Her mate had a manly scent she couldn't really describe – it was a mix between musk and eau de Cologne. A heavenly scent to her nose. She could drown herself into breathing it.

"Mmmh... there must be something else we can do together. I'm feeling quite... _mischevious_ and _naughty_. What do you think, Sting?" she asked, her hands caressing his strong back and muscles tenderly. He purred happily, tightening his hold around her and his lips latching onto her skin. Juvia closed her eyes in bliss, her breathing quickening just a little. "But I still don't know what we should do, besides having sex."

The blonde Dragon Slayer nipped her neck. "Am I rubbing off on you, Siren? If that's the case, then I'd be _more_ than happy to do _anything_ with you, as long as we stay together. And even if it's sex, let me just make you scream more until we finally get tired," he added with a suggestive, slow thrust of his hips against her.

Since they were still joined together she moaned, throwing her head back. Sting chuckled darkly, following her movement so that his teeth could tease her tender skin; one of his hands trailed up toward her cerulean hair, grabbed a handful of her locks to hold her like this. His bites and licks now trailed downward, toward her generous cleavage. "I truly think you are," Juvia breathed, a soft smile touching her plump lips. "Otherwise I wouldn't be trying to get you to do something."

"I'm flattered," he hummed as he kissed the mating mark, his eyes closed. "And I have an idea."

"Oh?"

He smirked. "Yeah. But for now, we've got better things to do." His back hit the mattress and he allowed Juvia to straighten herself so she could look at him, her gaze inquiring. He winked, his smirk widening in a mysteriously suspicious way. "You feeling quite naughty and mischevious at the same time is a good thing, since it fits in my plans just right." Sting placed his hands on her hips, his blue eyes now drawn to her tantalizing breasts. _Gods_ , Fate had brought him the perfect woman. Where had she been all this time? It took him all his will to look up at Juvia's doe eyes and not ravish her on the spot once again, because his body was already hardening for it. "Nah, I won't tell you right now," he quickly said as she was about to ask him something and he snickered upon seeing her pout, amused. "Don't worry, you'll like it."

And he was sure she will because, after all this time spent together to learn more about each other since Sting had discovered she was his mate, he had found out a lot about Juvia Lockser of Fairy Tail; other than the facts that she was quite the cordon bleu and the very loyal friend toward the brute that was Gajeel, she was a very creative person with an imagination almost unlimited – he had had the proof with all their trysts – and someone who could be twisted when you upset her. And if there was one thing Sting was sure, it was the fact that she'll get irritated if he told her about the scents he had picked up in her apartment – usually he would sense his and hers, since they mostly were the only ones (except Gajeel and PantherLily, but he had yet to confront him about that.) to be here but this time, he had been quite surprised. Not angry, but unpleasantly surprised.

He almost snorted, feeling both annoyed and irritated somehow. _Nosy people_. He really despised them; Sting had picked up four different scents when he had entered Juvia's apartment by the window earlier and since none of them belonged to a male he knew or didn't know – he would have hunted down the crazy idiot who could have touched or ogled Juvia's body to skin him alive –, the blonde Dragon Slayer had concluded they belonged to women. Two of these four women he had encountered with Lector, Rogue and Yukino while searching for Frosch all around Crocus had penetrated his mate's environment, their scents were all over the place. Even though Juvia's wonderful scent only invaded his sense of smell because it was the one that mattered to him, the intruders had spiked his interest. And his twisted side to get revenge on them for trying to pry on his beloved mate. Sting had recognized two of his next targets.

One smelled like strawberries, the other had more of a floral scent.

He decided that getting revenge on the former would be much more fun than the latter – since she literally was a monster hidden inside the shape of a woman. The Grand Magic Games had given him a well-known fact about Titania Erza; her strength was not to be underestimated and if he and Juvia were to 'get revenge' on her by following his plans, Sting wasn't sure if he would be enough to protect his mate from her ire. But the one with the strawberry scent would be his victim, no matter what. No one should be trying to discover their relationship for now, even if this woman was a dear friend of Juvia.

 _Speaking of mates_... he focused back on his blue-haired vixen sitting on him, who had been watching the clouded sky and thunder with a soft smile. Somehow the rumbling hadn't disturbed them during the whole passionate embrace, nothing more than just a background noise. The rain hadn't stopped either, still as strong as earlier. He remembered Juvia saying that Gray Fullbuster had taken the rain away from her when he had defeated her back in the days Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail had been engulfed in their feud and since she had been able to see the sun for the first time in a very long while, she had immediately loved him. Such fact coming out from her lips had awoken his strong, possessive side and what had followed next had been lots of rough sex because one jealous Sting Eucliffe had wanted to mark his mate Juvia Lockser once more and make her scream his name so many times. And _now_... now there was him. Him and _only_ him, _Sting Eucliffe_ , in her life. Gray Fullbuster wouldn't be a threat anymore, he was sure of that. But he was certain that drama will befall them one day, since their lives as mages were always hectic; Minerva Orland was still out somewhere, along with her father. While he still hadn't forgiven that piece of trash for trying to kill Lector, the blonde Dragon Slayer was convinced that his daughter wasn't as evil as she pretended to be. He'd look for her with his partner later but right now, _right now_... he desired his woman. Smirking Sting reached out, snaking a hand on the back of her neck to stroke it slowly with his fingers, which earned him her attention back on him instantly. Her smile widened and her eyes gleamed when she stared at him.

"Come here, Siren," he murmured huskily before pulling her down to him.

Juvia happily complied; she fell flat against him as they kissed feverishly, fire igniting their desire once again. She felt his other hand caress the skin of her back down to her backside, making her shiver and arch against him. The gesture itself provoked an friction that sent burning and electric sensations through their nerves, earning a sharp intake of breath from Juvia and an erotic moan from Sting, who then cupped her ass with both hands. He flexed his fingers and dug his nails on her flesh, earning him a sigh of euphoria. He didn't even have to tell her to do what they both had in mind, his woman just acted on instinct; her hips began to rise up and down, slowly, _very slowly_ , and she broke their mind-blowing kiss to pull back so that her movements could be more coordinated. Juvia held his scorching gaze with her own, hands flat on his well-built torso and his on her ass cheeks to guide her in her thrusts, her blue eyes blazing with desire. Her breaths soon morphed to moans, delicious music to his ears. Sting couldn't restrain his growls of pleasure, since his cock was throbbing inside her hot core. _She was far too enticing_.

"Gods, Juvia," he murmured, a throaty moan escaping his lips. Her riding him like this was one of his favorite positions of all, because he could admire her in all her shining beauty. Juvia looked magnificent under the only source light in the bedroom – the lightning splitting the sky – as it almost gave her a sinful appearance; the steam emanating from her body had her skin flushed, sweaty and hot, but that was his doing as well. Her breasts bounced at each thrust, taunting him to touch them and torture the buds a bit. "This is one helluva way to make up for all this time – _ngh_... – spent apart, even if it's just been days," Sting breathed in his hoarse voice, thrusting his hips forward. She let out a long moan, an ecstatic smile plastered on her face. "I'm not sure if I'll go back to Sabertooth right – _fuck_... – after this, it's just too tempting to stay – _shit, Juvia_... – in this bedroom with you – if the heavens agree with me, then I'm in." His heated gaze traveled all the way from her rising, wide hips to her face; her dark blue eyes were watching him with such an intense look, it was like she was burning a hole in his skull, but in a pleasant way. He smirked, holding her stare with his lustful one. "I want you confined in here with me, in this – _holy shit_... – bedroom, where I'll keep you up with thousands and thousands of naughty things. I'll make you _scream_ , Juvia. I'll have you screaming my name over and over, until your throat is finally sore. I'll mark you all over again to draw the limits, to show the world who you belong to." Sting emphasized his words by thrusting slowly, but hard, drawing Juvia's loud and lewd moans, in synch with her own movements.

" _Sting..._ " she said between two moans, her fingers curling around his muscled arms.

The blonde pulled himself up to her level, all the while caging Juvia in his arms and united with him. Sting sat up, allowing her to wind her own arms around his neck and press herself against him, and brought his woman to a short, yet rough kiss before murmuring against those plump lips he had grown to adore. "You're _mine_ , Juvia. Not someone else's, even if somebody confesses to you. _Mine_!" he growled, snapping his hips quite harshly.

"Ah! Y-yes!" she cried out before Sting pulled her to meet his eager lips. The kiss was as passionate as slow, in synch with their lovemaking; their hips grinding together in slow motion, her ample and soft breasts rubbing against his chest in such a lewd way – it was enthralling. All their senses dulled by the force of their mutual need, Sting and Juvia couldn't care less of the world around them because they both had their own; private and intimate, tender and rough, their world could be anything when they wanted to exclude the others.

The Sabertooth Mage was about to increase the pace of his thrusts when there was a sound echoing not far from their position – a sound that Sting would have _never_ thought to be this annoying and intolerable while he was having a well-deserved sex seance with his mate. And when he was hoping that Juvia hadn't heard the sound as well, he found himself growling at her stiffening form because she had stopped rolling her hips and had broken their kiss to turn toward the source of the annoyance, startled and stunned as well. Sting couldn't believe it.

Who the hell had the guts and a goddamn death wish to come and disturb them while they were in the middle of their second round?

"Juvia? Juvia, are you there?" a familiar feminine voice – _very_ familiar to one Dragon Slayer's voice whose eyes widened in angry disbelief – called.

He couldn't believe it. _Really_? _She_ had come here to cockblock him? Previously lustful eyes turned to stormy, furious blue orbs as they instantly lost their desire when they glared murderously at the door. Of all people in Magnolia –

" _Who the hell_ –" the handsome blonde hissed in fury, though he already knew who was at the door. He just wanted Juvia to confirm his suspicions, so that he would seriously devise his plan to get back at the cockblocker.

"L-lucy," his blue-haired siren stammered, still stunned. She couldn't believe it either: what in the world could Lucy possibly want _right now_ so that she had to interrupt them?

– that whining, annoying blonde Celestial Mage had to be the one to ruin everything? The only girl that had the most annoying voice at the moment since he couldn't tolerate her princess-like attitude? This really, _really_ couldn't be happening. No. He thoroughly refused. Not right now. Lucy Heartfilia had succeeded in breaking the erotic, heated atmosphere between Sting and his mate – which was considered as a sacrilege to him, because there was the existing and dreading possibility that Juvia might not want to continue their sex séance after sending the spoiled princess away. The spell had been broken the second they had heard Lucy knocking on the door. Whatever the devil she wanted from Juvia now, she would have to pay for that. Sting would have to bring his woman back into their world to continue the sex séance, because there was no way – no _absolute_ way – he was going to pleasure himself all alone while Juvia was here with him.

The blonde Dragon Slayer instantly tightened his hold on his woman when he felt her trying to get away from him. "No," he hissed bluntly. "Don't go to her. We're busy." His lips quickly latched onto the reddened skin on her slender neck, sucking and nipping on the mark he had created earlier.

She gasped, trying her best to swallow the moan that threatened to escape her lips. "A-ah, wait a second Lucy!" she called out to the blonde woman outside. Then she turned her attention toward Sting, who had begun to thrust once again as if to make her forget about her friend waiting. Juvia fought back the threatening sighs and moans of pleasure down her throat, because it was just so good – far too good to resist and give up on cumming. But she had to. "S-sting... I-I have to – _mmmh_... – Lucy...," she breathed lowly in vain, eyes closed in welcomed bliss.

"We're _busy_ , Siren," he repeated in the same tone, restraining his mate against him easily. He pulled her to a rough kiss, uncaring of her protest.

Another knock on her door, hesitating this time. "Juvia? Sorry to bother you but I'm baking a cake and I forgot to buy some sugar before the storm hit. _I'm sooooooooorry_!" came Lucy's whining voice, making Sting cringe and groan in annoyance as he tried to focus hard on Juvia. "Erza isn't home and so isn't Levy, Mirajane told me that you've taken some vacation because of the success of your last mission with Gajeel, so I thought that maybe –"

 _Damn it._ Sting growled very lowly in irritation as Juvia escaped him in her watery form, reappeared to snatch some random blouse and panties, hastily put them on while apologizing profusely to her glaring lover and then awkwardly dashed toward the front door, muttering about her sore legs and his stamina. The blonde grounded his teeth as he got up from the bed, a vein on his temple threatening to explode. Cockblocked. For some damn sugar for some damn cake. That Celestial chick was going to pay!

"Sorry, I was in the shower," Juvia panted at the door, surely flushed. "Let me get you the sugar for your cake."

Sting barely repressed a sigh as he heard the blonde squealing, taking a spot on the wall beside the bedroom door to listen to whatever the two had to say. "Yatta, you're the best Juvia-chan! I'll wait in the living-room if that doesn't bother you!"

"B-but..."

There were rushed footsteps toward the living-room, followed by Lucy's humming voice. Sting heard his mate sigh as she closed the door and then padded toward her kitchen. The guild master frowned. There was something in the blonde Celestial Mage's tone that displeased Sting and set him on edge; it was too cheerful, too bright. As if she intended to do something specific inside his mate's apartment. And considering the fact that her scent was nowhere near Juvia's heavenly smell, Sting wanted her gone in the next following minute so that he could get his blue-haired siren back to bed with him (and finish what that cheerleader had so rudely interrupted.). It appeared that Juvia had sensed Lucy's suspiciously happy tone as well:

"I didn't know you cooked, Lucy," Juvia said as she searched through her cupboard. "Let alone bake. I thought your hobby was writing. But didn't your housekeeper have some sugar? Why come all the way to Fairy Hills?"

 _Excellent question, my Siren_ , Sting thought with a scowl. The annoying blonde started to laugh, a bit awkwardly. "She didn't even want to see me today, guess she was somehow cranky because the storm kind of ruined her plans," Lucy replied, rolling her eyes. "Natsu, Happy and Gray pestered me for something to eat, so I just thought I could bake them a cake before sending them home. Always breaking in when I'm not looking, as if they had any right to do that. My house isn't their headquarters, for God's sake." She huffed in annoyance, clearly cranky. But then she seemed to recover as her tone went back to being cheerful when she addressed the Water Mage. "So Juvia, what have you been up to?"

Sting grounded his teeth, silently seething as he glanced at his throbbing and painful length. She was seriously trying to stay for more than one minute, wasn't she? _Oh, we were in the midst of our second round of the long sex séance I'd planned for two or three whole days. Before you interrupted us for some fucking sugar!_ the Dragon Slayer mentally raged as he pinched the bridge of his nose, restraining himself from storming out of the bedroom at top speed and throwing the cockblocker out. That was a dangerous move, because that would uncover the whole mystery around his mate's newfound happiness with him – Sting was sure that Lucy Heartfilia was here to play spy, she reeked of mischeviousness and curiosity. Too much for someone who only came here for some sugar. And if he exposed himself, the cheerleader would certainly tell her three other conspirators what she had found out: Sting Eucliffe naked in Juvia's bedroom, still fighting his urges to ravish his blue-haired lover, and looking quite frightening with that murderous glare and that harsh scowl. And then there was Fairy Tail, protective of its members.

Bloody hell. _Bloody hell_ , they would be annoying should they find out. Headaches, gossip and drama will follow once the cat's out of the bag – especially _drama_ , Sting knew it. A couple formed by two Mages from rival guilds, how lovely.

"...say Juvia, wanna try my cake later when it's ready and the boys are out?" Lucy offered, cheerful. "Hopefully the storm will die out."

Sting couldn't believe it. Was she trying to take Juvia from him now? Was she playing strategy to get her to talk about them? How annoying. But when the young guild master heard her laugh and refusal, he couldn't hide his growing smirk (and the relief he was feeling as well because once Lucy was gone, he'd ravish his bluenette right on the floor. Screw the bed, she could ride him in the living-room.).

"The storm is lulling me to sleep," she yawned rather cutely. "But maybe if you still have some cake left, I'll have some. Thank you for your invitation, Lucy." Sting could tell she was smiling gratefully, yet he could feel her impatience. Juvia wanted her gone, as soon as possible. _Right now_. She wasn't going to fall for the trap that easy.

"You sure?" the blonde insisted, teasing. "It's dark chocolate, you know."

"Bribery won't work anymore, you know. It won't get you anywhere with me." It was Juvia's turn to be amused at the pouting Celestial Mage, who shrugged as she finally decided to leave with her sugar. "Don't forget to bring it back, Lucy!" she reminded with a big smile.

Then she closed the door with a sigh, eyes shut in relief. _Close call_. Too close for her liking; Lucy Heartfilia might be a friend but she was way too curious. The way she had bounced into her apartment was just too suspicious to actually think about forgetting that behaviour of hers, which had made Juvia wary and a little bit annoyed by this 'cheerfulness'. And the dark chocolate cake? Really? Did she truly just try to bait her into going to her place and eat her favorite cake? This was all too suspicious and Juvia was beginning to think that her blonde friend might be up to no good, she'd have to keep a close eye on Lucy. Just in case.

Warm, soft lips kissed the visible skin of her collarbone and she sighed once more, this time in pleasure. Her resistance melted when his hands started to flick open the buttons of her blouse and caress the creamy skin under with barely restrained hunger. Juvia shivered and threw her head back when Sting nipped at her neck, his fangs sinking into the flesh slowly. That bite alone was enough to create a new wave of heat all over her body, setting her nerves and senses ablaze; she panted, taking one of her lover's hand with her own to guide it under the lacy underwear toward her throbbing pussy. She bit back a throaty moan when two fingers circled her bundle of nerves slowly and jerked against his hard body, her ass grinding against his arousal. Sting growled pleasantly, his other arm wrapping her in a tight embrace.

They needed to finish this. _Right now_.

Juvia couldn't argue with him, she wanted him so much. She couldn't remember when they had moved back to the bedroom – Sting was damn fast when he was hungry, especially when it concerned her – or even when he had locked it but she could register this: Sting ripping her underwear with his teeth, Sting licking his way up to her lips to bring her to a fierce, fiery kiss, Sting slamming into her with an animalistic growl that made her scream in euphoria.

 _Sting bringing her to scream his name all day_.

* * *

Her fingers danced on his back, caressing the muscles with an infinite softness and the most feathery touch that could calm down an angry boar, which made Sting quite sexually relaxed and peaceful; sprawled against Juvia with his face buried in her neck, his body situated between her legs that were still wrapped around his hips and his hands resting on her waist, the blonde Dragon Slayer felt in heaven. One hand was in his hair, stroking the golden locks with an affection that only a lover could have, which makes him purr in happiness like a cat; the sound was lovely to her ears and easily calmed the Water Mage, who wore a soft smile as she pressed a long, tender kiss on her mate's left temple. Long gone was his anger toward Lucy for interrupting them in the midst of their lovemaking, long gone was his aggressive, passionate behaviour that screamed lust and desire, now he was reduced to feline who was completely spent after hours of sex, purring and cuddling.

The storm had finally died out, leaving behind a heavily soaked Magnolia. The rumbling of thunder and the angry pitter-patter of the rain were gone, replaced by the peacefulness of the night; the moonlight was the only source of light in Juvia's bedroom, illuminating the two mates as they lay in slumber on their bed. The blue-haired woman smiled as she looked up at the round, perfect shape of the celestial body. She had always admired the whiteness of the moon, because it seemed so pure and impossible to tarnish. It also gave her strength, enhancing her magical powers.

Sting stirred a little, nuzzling his face against her skin. Pleasant shivers shook her body as he pressed his warm, soft lips on the skin of her neck. "Juvia? I've been wondering," he murmured, not taking his lips off.

"Yes?" she replied.

He chose his words carefully as he stated his question. "I know this is a bit sudden and crazy to even believe in the possibility of something this unthinkable happening one day but it's still possible. Should... _something_ – anything – happen to Fairy Tail after one particular event, would you consider coming to Sabertooth and stay with me?" He lifted his head to look at her, his blue eyes serious and calm.

She halted, blinking owlishly at her mate.

Juvia had never, ever considered that possibility before, but then again, miracles were something that guild were used to – the majority of the members that had disappeared seven years ago on Tenrou Island and had come back was the most incredible miracle she had had the honour to witness. The black dragon Acnologia had been powerful enough to make the whole island and even though Mavis Vermilion, the first master of the guild, had used her magic to make everyone fall into deep slumber for seven years after the dreading fight with Grimoire Heart, Juvia had thought that she would have to say farewell to life forever as Acnologia's strength had been all but too powerful for everyone to match him. They had all come back from this nightmare but... there had been terrible consequences; seven years had gone by without them, their friends had moved on with their lives without thinking of the possibility – even the slightest – of them actually being alive. Juvia had seen, laughed, loved and lived with her new family. The very idea of that family breaking off had never crossed her mind and now that Sting had asked her if she would consider coming to Sabertooth and live with him, she had doubts.

But would Fairy Tail disband one day, just like Phantom Lord had after the feud with the fairies? Her former guild had crossed the limits with Fairy Tail, so it had just been justice. But her new guild had carried a whole era for so long – all masters and members had shown, when some were still alive, the strength of the fairies to those who had confronted them before vanishing. Juvia wasn't naive. All tales should come to an end, whether it should be bitter or beautiful. It would be a shame, because good things in life were hard to find and Fairy Tail had been the best thing that had ever happened to Juvia Lockser (after becoming best friends with Gajeel Redfox, of course.).

She shifted under Sting's scrutiny, frowning a little bit. "I... you know that wherever you go, I'll go, right?" He nodded, still staring. Juvia rolled them over and he didn't complain, allowing her to sit on his stomach. Her dark blue eyes looked down on him, conflicted. "I don't know if something like this will ever happen someday, Sting. And if it _does_ happen, master Makarov will have his reasons to disband the guild and we won't protest. Fairy Tail had lived for so long and..." She blinked, unable to find the words to express herself.

Sting reached out to cup her face, his blue eyes searching. "And they all had become the family and friends you've been looking for," he finished for her, understanding. "I know, you told me about this the second time we met. I should be thankful toward Fairy Tail for accepting you in their ranks because, without them, I wouldn't have found you at all." This actually managed to bring a soft, yet happy smile to her face as she nodded, agreeing with him. He replied with his own smile, caressing her smooth cheeks with his thumbs, before regaining his calm and serious expression. "But Juvia, the idea of Fairy Tail disbanding one day might be possible: the circumstances won't certainly be the same as Phantom Lord in the past, but who knows what's going on in your master's mind? If there's something I've already understood as a guild master is the fact that I will do _anything_ – _absolutely anything_ – to protect all my friends and anyone who comes to harm them will face my wrath."

That was true. When Sting had thought that Lector had died by Jiemma's hand because of his loss against Natsu Dragneel during the Grand Magic Games, he'd acted on instinct and before he could even think properly, his beam of light had passed through his former cruel guild master. Sting had never felt so much pain and emptiness since Weisslogia, his dragon, had forced him to bathe in his blood after killing him; Lector meant so much to the blonde Dragon Slayer that the two of them had a deep 'father-son' like relationship or something akin to that. He valued their friendship almost above everything else. Now there was Juvia Locsker in his life.

This beautiful naiad had become someone far too precious for him to lose after accepting the fact that they were mates and the Gods know that Sting Eucliffe will bring mayhem and hell to anyone who would dare to hurt her. As a male tiger who would protect his female, the blonde Dragon Slayer wouldn't hesitate to wring someone's neck.

He was brought back to reality by Juvia's soothing voice. "Does that mean you're looking for... Minerva?" she asked hesitantly, even though she somehow knew the answer to that.

"We are," Sting confirmed, his voice gaining a sharp edge. "She might not consider us as her friends but she belongs to Sabertooth. She always has."

 _Shit_. Maybe she should have expected this from her mate, considering the fact that Natsu's fight with him during the Grand Magic Games had beaten some serious sense in him. Juvia gulped down the insult that threatened to slip past her lips and closed her eyes, deep in thought. Of course Sabertooth would go after one lost member; with Sting Eucliffe as their master, they'd destroy mountains and mountains to get Minerva Orland back, even if that woman's behaviour and actions had hurt Lucy badly. Juvia had seen her psychotic and cruel side when she had mercilessly beaten her blonde friend during the Naval Battle and had been left horrified with a strong surge of cold fury and revenge. Now she might not know Minerva Orland's history but if her mate was thinking about getting her back, the least she could do was trust her judgement. However, she was a bit curious.

"Fairy Tail _really_ has beaten some sense into you, huh?" Juvia said, opening her eyes to gaze at Sting with a soft, loving look.

He nodded, smirking. "Yeah. Thanks to Natsu-san, I've really understood what it means to care for friends and protect them. Asking Yukino to come back to the guild was my first step as vowing myself to change Sabertooth to the core." His smirk fell as he recalled the humiliation she had been the victim of before being excommunicated from their guild. "Our former guild master always preached strength above anything else, friendship was considered a weakness. And since he didn't tolerate weakness or failure, Yukino had paid the price of her loss against Kagura during the Grand Magic Games by being excommunicated in the worst way possible," he said, almost snarling in disgust, which made Juvia frown in confusion. "He had forced her to strip naked in front of everyone else before ordering her to erase her guild mark." Sting closed his eyes at his siren's shocked gasp and grounded his teeth. "Horrible, isn't it? Jiemma was... he almost _killed_ Lector, Juvia. But Minerva saved him. I feel indebted to her for saving his life."

"So she might not be as psychotic and twisted as we thought, after all." Now she understood why Sting wanted to find the Mage and get her back in the guild. "So there's a chance, even the slightest, that Minerva might be a good woman behind that psychotic and sadistic side of hers."

Sting snickered at her choice of words, his hands coming to pinch the sides of her waist teasingly. She jolted, a short and surprised chortle escaping her lips. He always relished at the fact that she was ticklish. "My, what foul words you use to describe her personality. But I personally think she's not that bad, Siren. Her being Jiemma's daughter also means that she must have gone through a lot in her childhood." His face fell again as his mood soured. "If that man was already this demanding and cruel toward his own daughter, then the traumatism of being called weak and pathetic in front of him must still be damn strong. I'm sure that deep down, _deep down_ , she is the total opposite. I'll prove it as my third step as the master of Sabertooth. It will be hard and long, but who am I to give up?"

Juvia stared at him, speechless and awed once again. Sting spoke with fire burning in his unmistakable blue eyes and his handsome face set onto a determined expression she had already seen on the night he had told her that he desired nothing more than become something she had always wished from Gray Fullbuster. This one night, he had made her heart beat in a way the Ice Mage had never been able to.

" _You feel this pull, don't you? This powerful attraction between you and me, this constriction in your chest whenever you're getting further from me? I feel it as well, and it's incredibly painful not to be by your side. It will always be like this if we're not together. This connection will grow stronger once I've marked you as my mate and once it's done, you'll never feel rejected – this **I promise**. You told me about your unrequited love for the exhibitionist, it's high time you finally get to be loved by someone else who could make you taste happiness. We can't fight it; if Fate had long ago decided that you, Juvia Lockser, shouldn't be with Gray Fullbuster, then who are we to fight it? I'll make you feel loved – this **I promise**. I'll be yours, Juvia Lockser. I, Sting Eucliffe, will be yours. If you'd be mine."_

Sting hadn't been lying that night when he said that he wanted her to be his; his burning eyes had spoken the truth when he had said those words – those same words the old Juvia Lockser would have infinitely killed to hear from Gray Fullbuster. This determination of his was so strong and true that she had been left stunned. In a very pleasant way, she might add. She chortled, feeling proud and cheerful.

"What?" Sting inquired, confused, as he blinked at her.

"I think you being master is a very good thing, then," Juvia said, smiling widely. Then she looked at him with those soft, sincere eyes that had him ensnared the second he had understood who she was to him. "You'll do a wonderful, kind guild master, Sting Eucliffe. I'm sure of it."

And this time, there was no cocky smirk. This time, there was no smug expression. This time, there was none of that pompous attitude from the former Sabertooth Mage who hadn't been beaten by Natsu yet.

This time, there was a real, broad smile on his face. _And Juvia Lockser loved it all_.

* * *

"I think it's a good idea. Blondie will never look at her apartment the same way again if we do this."

A chortle from his beloved mate, who looked at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. " _That's_ your idea, Sting? When I told you that I was feeling mischevious and naughty, that wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

The blonde snickered, sending Juvia one of his cocky, lewd smirks. "Really baby, what kind of mischevious _and_ naughty pranker do you take me for? You did say you felt both ways so..." He gestured to the whole room, never once taking his eyes off Juvia because _damn_ , she looked so cute when she was flustered. "... _voila_! Let's do it here and now. No buts!" Sting bluntly said as he saw her open his mouth to protest. His smirk only widened when she pouted and he leaned in to press his forehead against hers, satisfied and proud of him. "You know you want it, Siren."

Her flushed face, dazed eyes and slender fingers caressing the bare skin of his stomach pretty much gave her away. And if she ever thought about escaping him, Sting knew he was faster.

Seconds later, two bodies were entangled in a passionate, heated embrace. The sounds of their lovemaking reverberating over the walls of the apartment. Revenge could mean _so_ many things at a time but, if you were in Sting Eucliffe's shoes when he had been rudely interrupted in the midst of fucking his mate senseless, you would get revenge on the one who's nearly cockblocked you in the most unthinkable way, right? Especially when said cockblocker had a friend with a good nose.

* * *

 _Tuesday_. And still no sign of a Water Mage around. This was starting to really get on Gray's nerves and though this was a situation he had played a major part in, he couldn't help but feel both irritated and heavily conflicted; he had tried to see her yesterday at her apartment and make her talk to him, but she wasn't home. Whether she was doing it on purpose just to get a reaction out of her absence or not, it was definitely working. The Ice Mage scowled as he slumped in his seat, his thoughts raging inside his head. He hadn't made any progress ever since Natsu had broken into his house to give him a pep talk – or rather mentally bitch-slap him – and since he was starting to open his eyes, the weight of Laxus' words struck him like thunder; the fact that Makarov's son had grown so much closer to Juvia than even Gray himself could have because he kept brushing her off irritated him to no end but who was he to be the one who was upset? He had pushed her away, was paying the price of it, and wanted to know everything concerning Juvia Lockser's whereabouts. Behind that lovesick and crazy behaviour of hers lay one of the kindest, selfless and caring personalities and while her antics may have been borderline exhausting and exasperating, the blue-haired woman had always been by his side. _Always_.

A lover would remain. A friend would remain. Had she not chosen to move on with her life, Juvia would have. _She would have_. But she wasn't here anymore and though she was still alive, her absence reminded him of Ur's disappearance because of him. Because he hadn't thought and acted like a man should have, maybe, _maybe_ , she would have remained by his side. The fact that they hadn't talked to each other in weeks was painful; Laxus had made his blood boil by toying with his words without even giving him an actual answer and, though Gray's stubbornness forced him to think that the Lightning Mage was bluffing, there could be something going on between him and Juvia. Was she with Laxus right now? Was she 'relaxing' with him?

 _Jealousy_. What an ugly, bitchy feeling for someone who wasn't in love. Gray was 100% sure that he didn't harbour romantic feelings toward the Water Mage and while it may not be love, the Ice Mage still cared deeply about her. A lot. While Lucy and Natsu may think that something was going on between Laxus and Juvia, the dark-haired man wouldn't have any of it – he'd deny it in his last breath, just like he'd deny having feelings for the bluenette. So whatever the hell that 'secret relationship' truly was, the Lightning Mage and his former stalker were going to great lengths to hide it; as confusing as it seemed, neither Erza or Cana were close to finding out. _Moved on with_ _ **Laxus Dreyar**_ , he thought bitterly, gritting his teeth at Makarov's grandson's name as if it were something vile.

"Stop brooding, will you?" Gray heard Lucy's voice chastising him. He grunted, not bothering to look up. "And don't strip into my apartment, pervert!"

"Shit!" he cursed out loud, standing to retrieve his scattered clothes – how had he stripped down to his boxers without him noticing anything? Damn. Ur's teachings had been this incredible to turn him into a major exhibitionist and there was nothing he could do about it.

Lucy gazed at Gray, silent as he put his clothes back on. He may not show it because he had long mastered the air of indifference around others but she could see he was suffering in silence; Juvia's absence was finally doing its number on him and the fact that there was a so-called 'secret relationship' between the blue-haired woman who used to be in love with him and Laxus Dreyar must have caught him off guard. So off guard that he hadn't seen everything coming. Her blue-haired naiad friend just kept eluding him like water, never willing to give Gray a second of her attention and always keeping close to her best friend, who was ready to scalp him and break his neck should he try to approach Juvia. Lucy's heart went out to him and she truly wanted to help the Ice Mage, but when she'd open her mouth to say something, Natsu's harsh words kept reverberating in her mind.

" _That's between him and Juvia, Luce. I've already taken my turn to beat some sense into that thick skull of his and give him a reality wake-up call and I'm not going there. Ever. **Again**. Juvia's moved on and she's better now, you all saw that. He finds it weird that she left his side? Don't make me laugh, he's been glad. He's suffering from her absence now? Bloody funny, because Juvia's been suffering far longer than he has and now she's all smiles. Thanks to whoever must make her smile, because she needs it. Don't care if it's Laxus, as long as our friend doesn't cry anymore because of Gray's stupidity and stubbornness. And don't you try giving the stripper bastard tips to fix the damages of his friendship with Juvia, Luce! I can see that coming. Gray should be doing this on his own, without our help."_

Maybe Natsu was right. Maybe the Ice Mage really did deserve that kind of ignorance from the Water Mage but, as always, Lucy Heartfilia couldn't just ignore a friend's silent pain. She was too kind-hearted to do that. The blonde would have to apologize to the pink-haired Salamander for breaking her promise.

She sighed as she took a seat on the chair of her desk. "You look miserable," she commented.

Gray snorted. "Is it that obvious?" he replied sarcastically, slumping back into his chair.

"You miss her." It was said as a statement.

The twitch on his right eye certainly never went unnoticed by Lucy's brown orbs, who softened considerably. While he could keep lying to himself and deny that he didn't miss Juvia's presence, she could see the proof with her own eyes; Gray was scowling and ever since she had found him in her living-room this afternoon wearing nothing but his underwear, he had never ceased to frown darkly. Maybe she should help him in this matter concerning Juvia (without having a slip of tongue concerning her discovery at Juvia's place. Didn't want her apartment frozen to the ground, she loved it too much.).

"I don't know if she's doing it purposely," Gray muttered darkly, glaring at nothing in particular. "Yesterday, I tried to see her at her apartment but she wasn't there. She wasn't at the guild either. If she wants to avoid me like the plague, she's doing a perfect job and _really_ good at it."

Lucy pursed her lips. "Maybe she's just relaxing, like Mira said?" she suggested.

The dark-haired man threw her an incredulous glance, a skeptical eyebrow raised. "You really believe that crap?"

"Huh... yeah?" she blinked, confused.

"Good. Because you're gonna talk, Lucy." She didn't have time to see him stand up or stalk toward her; in a matter of seconds, Gray had her caged between the desk and his arms. Brown eyes widened in stunned disbelief as they stared at stormy, dark orbs. _So fast_! "Tell me everything you know about Juvia's and Laxus' fucking secret relationship and _don't you dare_ chicken out on me on this one!" he grounded, narrowing his eyes at her. "I heard you with Erza, Cana and Mirajane talking about discovering Juvia's secrets and you mentionned Laxus 'crashing at her place for some time now'. Those were Cana's words, right?" He didn't even wait for her nod as he went on. "Anyway, _tell me._ "

Lucy gaped, her throat suddenly dry. _Shit_ , she surely hadn't seen that coming; the blonde didn't want to face Erza's disapproving stare if she found out that she had spilled the beans to Gray about what she had recently heard on Sunday's afternoon at Fairy Hills – she had to get Cana, Mirajane and the red-haired knight before and tell them about the 'noises' in Juvia's apartment. Good Lords, this was some juicy discovery! Whether it was Laxus in the blue-haired naiad's apartment or not, it truly sounded like that she was having a very good time.

"I-I-I... don't know anything!" she stammered, lying pitifully, her hands raised before her.

"You still don't know how to lie?" Gray couldn't believe it. "Your incompetence at lying will forever continue to stupefy me. So there is something you truly know. Tell me!"

"I swear I don't know anything! I truly don't and plus, it's not like Juvia has really slept with Laxus, I saw her on Sunday afternoon and –"

" – _What_? Are you really trying to make me buy this? You went to her place, you say? Did you see someone in her bedroom? Was it Laxus?" Gray's eyes were glinting dangerously.

Lucy shook her head, panicked and really surprised. Dozens of terrified thoughts raged in her mind, all the more negative. What the hell was up with all those questions? Was Gray feeling quite possessive toward Juvia over the fact that she seemed to have found a lover to date? Because she wasn't interested in him anymore? Because she suddenly decided to live again? Because she didn't want to ruin herself anymore for hoping that he'd finally return her feelings one day? Because she seemed to have found someone else to love? Because she –

 _Because she must have thought that he wasn't worth it after all?_

Brown eyes blinked twice, regaining their focus. Lucy took a breath to calm her nerves. "Gray... I don't think this is your business to meddle in Juvia's private life," she declared.

The dark-haired Ice Mage had the reaction she expected: he glared at her. "Natsu told you not to help me, right?" he snarled, irritation bubbling up. Gray pulled back, hands curling into tight fists. "Fucking Flame Breath, does he even know what he's doing?"

"He's trying to protect a friend from being hurt any more, that's what he's doing," Lucy piped in to defend the pink-haired Dragon Slayer, frowning at the Ice Mage.

"He's trying to protect who? _Juvia_? From 'being hurt any more'? For fuck's sake, _I_ ' _m_ the one trying to fix my friendship with her because I know I've been hurting her!" Gray gritted his teeth, eyes flashing. "And I don't know how to do that. _I. Just. Don't. Know_. I've never let anyone get close too close to me because I'm always dreading that they'll leave me, one way or another. Whether they die or keep living. My parents... Ur..." _Ultear_. The last living person that had a distinct connection with his beloved late master. "And now Juvia's left too. She... she left me because I..." He took a breath. A shaky one. "Don't you see, Lucy? It's _always_ my fault if the people I care about so much leave my side. My parents, even though I don't really remember them well, died protecting me from the monster that destroyed everything good from my childhood and took my happiness away. Ur died protecting me because I'd been fucking stupid enough to think that I'd be strong to take down Deliora as a child all alone."

He swallowed, closing his eyes.

"And Juvia... Juvia is the first woman to push past my walls because she was so persistent and so... sincere and pure. _Too_ pure. For someone like _me_? Yeah, right: she's just far too good and kind for someone this dark and lone like me. Yet she just kept trying to know me, to help me – to _love_ me. _Why_ , I would ask myself when I tried to understand her interest in me. Why would she love me? _Me_ , of all people she could have gone after? I haven't done nothing special for Juvia, just defeated her because she was in the way and had to be defeated. Then after she was accepted in the guild, the more time she spent with me, the more I've grown to accept her presence and friendship. She was... a breath of fresh air. Something new. But her love was something I couldn't accept or stomach because it _hurts_. It just hurts because it was a feeling that had been taken away by Deliora and the massacre in my hometown – can I ever love someone without fearing to be alone once again? Could I ever love Juvia and keep her? I _don't know_ , Lucy..." Gray sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "For now, all I want is her friendship back a-and even if she moved on, I just want us to be friends again. At the very least, can she allow us to be friends once again? She's rather unique, I'll be damned if I were to let her friendship slip past my fingers. I won't try to push her away, I-I just..."

Lucy found the words for him, brown eyes having welled up. "You just don't Juvia to leave you because you care a lot about her, even if it's not the way she wanted you to feel toward her."

Because _yeah_ , Lucy Heartfilia truly couldn't ignore a friend's silent pain. Friendship was just far too precious for someone as kind-hearted as this young Celestial Mage; when she met Natsu Dragneel years ago and followed him all the way to the guild of her dreams, the most treasured thing she had been looking forward to was making friends inside this wonderful guild. When you have friends such as Lucy's, everything just seems possible. At Fairy Tail, friendship was everything and treasured in such a way that it could render any member of this guild so strong – stronger than you could imagine. Gray Fullbuster might not love Juvia Lockser, but she was still important to him – _very_ important, if Lucy referred to what she just heard. She had fought for him, almost died for him and hurt herself so that he won't die. He had past issues he had yet to get rid of and while he may have unconsciously and unwillingly driven the one woman who had cared more than enough to deal with his all his shit without flinching, he was determined to get her back. Her friendship at least, for it was the most important thing that made Gray Fullbuster and Juvia Lockser a good pair.

Maybe Lucy will help, after all.

* * *

 **Author's Note 1:** Pssh. It's 2:10 am and I'm dead. Night night, my friends. Thanks for all your reviews, favorites and follows, that's giving me courage to continue this story. Also, thank you for voting on the poll. So, see you on the next chapter (Je crois que Sting voudra faire un peu de chahut...)!

 **Next Chapter:** _Clarity For You_.


	5. Clarity For You (Part One)

**Summary:** _"_ _Who makes you moan? Who makes you scream in pleasure and joy? I. Fucking. Do._ _What's mine is mine and sharing isn't an option_ _I'd even_ _have the idiocy to consider."_

 _After the Grand Magic Games, Juvia_ _Lockser_ _took time to reflect on her life – including Gray Fullbuster. Something she wouldn't have done on her own since she was always caught up in her fantasy._ _It hurt like a bitch to realize that a one-sided love would never be returned, it truly did. And moving on was even harder to do. But still, Juvia swore to do so._ _Somehow, there's a way for everything._

 **Genre:** _Drama/Friendship._

 **Disclaimer:** To say that Fairy Tail belongs to me is pure fantasy. Hiro Mashima remains the creator and has all the rights.

 **/!\ Warning: This fan-fiction has tons of smut and I won't tell when and where you'll read them in those chapters. I'm unpredictable, huh! Minors have been warned and if you're caught off guard...remember that this fan-fiction is rated M. Read the summary carefully before launching yourself on this story.**

* * *

… In which Natsu Dragneel tracks Juvia Lockser and Sting Eucliffe down to bond with the Water Mage over fishing (and laugh his head off with both mates about their prank-tryst in Lucy's apartment.).

… In which Gray Fullbuster finally grows some balls to talk to the blue-haired naiad and seeks her out with Lucy and Erza... only to find her soaked and wearing a rather odd and _familiar_ jacket that certainly didn't belong to her.

… In which drama finally hits home and brings chaos.

* * *

 **Chapter Five:** _Clarity For You_ ( **Part** One)

* * *

A clear sky. The sun shining, just rising and particularly hot in Magnolia. No sign of a thundercloud or any cloud a mile away. Natsu Dragneel grinned widely as he clutched his fishing rod and bait, his dark green eyes glinting joyously. _Perfect_. A perfect day for a fishing day with the only Water Mage who could give him a hand in catching tons of fish in no time – that is, if her Dragon Slayer of a mate was willing to agree with spending some time with the Salamander and share Juvia's attention. Natsu may not know Sting Eucliffe that much but if there was something he knew about Dragon mating, it was a Dragon Slayer's possessiveness over his mate; the salmon-haired Mage was almost certain to encounter some difficulty to get his other fellow Dragon Slayer to accept his request, but he had waited long enough. Whether Sting agreed or not, liked it or not, he _was_ going to take Juvia fishing with him and Happy – the young guild master, his Exceed and his partner would follow them, anyway.

So the Salamander had basically tracked the bluenette down, from her place to where she would be right now; it hadn't been that hard to pick up her scent, since it was mixed with Sting Eucliffe's – the White Dragon Slayer had been in Magnolia for a few days now, certainly enjoying his time with his Water Mage and not giving a damn about who could hear the sounds of their lovemaking. Although the young master of Sabertooth had covered his tracks in the town pretty well and had seemingly disappeared from the civilisation, Natsu's sense of smell wouldn't be bested that easily. And his stubbornness had led him and Happy in front of Magnolia Hotel, where he could smell the two lovebirds' scents – Rogue and Frosch were here as well, that he could tell. Wherever Sting was, his dark twin would be found near him as well. The salmon-haired Dragon Slayer grinned. _Good_ , the more, the merrier. Maybe he could tease the dark-haired young man about Dragon mating?

Natsu took a huge gulp of air, throwing his head backward. _This was going to make some damn noise around._ But –

" _STIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING_! _ROOOOOOOOOOGUE_!" he yelled before the entrance of Magnolia Hotel, uncaring of the enraged scoldings he would receive due to his screaming. The blue Exceed didn't even flinch as he continuously stuck his tongue out to lick his paws, as if licking what was left of his fish.

– everyone should know by now that Natsu Dragneel didn't care if he was being loud. He. Just. _Didn't_. His dark green eyes focused on the window on the left side of the second floor and he waited patiently for the expected reaction.

" _What the fuck?!" Slap! "Ow! Siren, what gives?!"_

"Would you mind your language, Sting?" Natsu heard Juvia's sweet voice chastise her blond mate. He snickered in amusement as his keen ears didn't miss the annoyed groan of his fellow Dragon Slayer and the approaching, angry footsteps.

The curtains were brutally pulled apart, the window opened and a blonde head popped out, followed by a lot of steam (what the hell? Did Sting make Juvia boil a little too hot?). His golden locks were dishevelled, his face was flushed and his skin showed some hickeys around his neck. On top of it, he wasn't wearing a shirt and the irate, murderous look he was drilling Natsu with was enough to make the scariest monsters cower back to their lair, their tail between their legs. But the Fire Dragon Slayer was somehow immune as he just kept snickering at the blonde, who looked like he was two seconds away from jumping out of the window to beat him to death.

Sting snarled, his blue eyes flashing dangerously. "Natsu-san, what the _hell_ is wrong with you people? First that whining, annoying blonde cheerleader of yours who dares to interrupt us and now _you_?" He seemed close to burst. And that twitch on his right eye just showed how irritated he truly was. "I didn't know you were such a damn cockblocker as well!"

" _What_?" Natsu exclaimed, frowning. "What are you talking about?"

Another voice, deeper and calmer, joined in. "He's still upset about your partner almost catching them in the act the other day." The Shadow Dragon Slayer had also popped his head out from the next window, catching Natsu's attention as he snapped his eyes at his red ones, inquiring. Rogue sighed, propping his elbows on the windowsill. "Sting had been ranting about Lucy Heartfilia for at least fifteen minutes and how she just wouldn't leave until she got her sugar for her cake – I left out the rude words for the sole purpose of maintaining Frosch's sanity and innocence intact, I don't want Sting's brash attitude to rub off on him and –"

"You're aware I can hear you _just fine_ , right?" Sting snapped at his twin, scowling darkly.

" – it seems like he won't forgive you for interrupting him and Juvia once again," Rogue finished, as if the blonde hadn't talked at all. "I sincerely feel sorry for Juvia, being his mate for the rest of her life."

The master of Sabertooth snorted, raising an unimpressed eyebrow at him. "Yeah? So what if I don't like being interrupted? Besides, you have yet to find your own life partner and I'd like to see you how you'd appreciate interruptions when you'll want to mate. I'm sure you'll find it especially comforting."

Natsu just blinked, dumbfounded as he watched the Twin Dragon Slayers bicker like two brothers – or an old couple. How did a simple yell manage to heat up an argument between Sting and Rogue? He just wanted to get Juvia so she could help him catch his stock of fish and that was it; he and Happy were out of fish and since there was someone in their guild who could just snag a lot of fish in one go, Natsu didn't want to waste any time and energy in waiting patiently for landing fishies. And what did Lucy have to do with anything in this predicament? When Rogue mentionned that Sting had been enraged when his blonde friend had almost caught him and Juvia in the act, was he –

 _Oh_ _no_ _, she didn't_. The salmon-haired Mage practically balked, grasping the meaning of Rogue's words and understanding Sting's fury. Lucy, in her stupid mission of hers that consisted on spying on Juvia Lockser and her 'secret relationship' with Laxus, had interrupted a moment between a Dragon Slayer and his mate – an intimate moment, he should add with a wince. And as Igneel had told him how mad a Dragon Slayer or his mate could get if he were to be interrupted in the middle of mating, Sting's anger was very well justified. Natsu groaned as he scratched his pink hair, frustrated. He might have to find a way to hold Lucy up whenever she seemed to think about something that may concern the Water Mage – like going to her place just for some sugar while there was a storm kicking.

 _At least he hasn't gone after her to blast her apartment_ , Natsu thought with a sweat-drop as he stared at the blonde guild master, who was ready to throw himself at Rogue with a snarl. It could have ended pretty badly.

The dark-haired Mage was about to retort something when Juvia's soothing voice stopped the bickering. "Alright, let's calm down a little," she said as she appeared besides Sting, sporting a deep blue blouse. One slender hand rested on her mate's chest, caressing the muscles ever subtly, and the gesture was enough to calm him down instantly; his features relaxed completely, his eyes stopped flashing and returned to their original colour as he sighed, seemingly melting under Juvia's touch. He threw her a heated, softened look and she returned it with a smile before turning her eyes toward Natsu, leaning down toward him. "Natsu-san, what brings you at Magnolia Hotel... at seven in the morning? You know that everyone is still asleep, right? You even woke Lector up," she whispered, still a bit surprised and shocked due to his outburst. No, she was even shocked to see him here since nobody else should know about this escapade – how had he known?

Maybe having Natsu Dragneel in the secrecy of her relationship with Sting Eucliffe wasn't such a good idea; while he may be a very good friend in terms of helping and always being there when you needed him, Juvia sometimes feared that the salmon-haired Mage might accidentally spill the beans to Lucy once and for all – the bluenette was bubbly and so was Natsu. There was a good chance that his usual bubbly, loud behaviour would fail him, that he would say something about her hanging out with a rival or worse, that he would let words about a certain blonde from a rival guild that had previously taken pleasure in torturing one of their friends – _that she was sleeping with Sting Eucliffe and, on top of all the bullshit her friends would learn about this, his mate_. Juvia could already see the disgusted sneers some would send her way, since she knew that deep down, _deep down_ , there were some that still hadn't forgiven Sabertooth for bringing pain to Lucy.

Would they accept Sting? Because even though Natsu and Gajeel had accepted him and Rogue as both fellow Dragon Slayers and friends, that certainly didn't mean that the others woud see them as such; Juvia knew that Erza and Mirajane would be reserved, if not a little conflicted about her situation. Cana might brush it off at first under the influence of alcohol but, once she was sober, she would yell at the bluenette and tell her that she was joking about getting with the blonde Dragon Slayer from Sabertooth (she may also be thrilled that Juvia had finally gotten laid, even though it hadn't been Gray. _"What's with all the secrets, Juv? You snagged the White Dragon Slayer_ _of Sabertooth_ _and you didn't even think about telling your big sister Cana, I'm hurt. So... how is he in the sack? Who was on top?_ _Did you –_ _"_ Damn it.). And the others? Those who hadn't been caught in the seven-year slumber on Tenrou Island after Acnologia's blast and had seen Sabertooth's victories during the previous Grand Magic Games over the years? They might not accept that relationship as much as they might not accept the fact that a fairy got with a tiger without them noticing a damn thing, Juvia had been really careful about this. Rogue, albeit having been quite surprised to find out that his partner's mate hailed from Fairy Tail but other than that, he seemed willing to know her (a little bit reserved but willing to give her a chance since she was Gajeel's best friend). Oh, and there was also that freaking reporter from Sorcerer's Weekly who wouldn't waste time in publishing the shots he would take from Juvia and Sting if they were to go from private to public about their relationship; the article that would talk about them would be epic and bring jealousy to every fan-girl that fantasized about her mate – and the bluenette could already feel her possessiveness burn from the bottom of her being.

But again, Juvia found herself surprised to see a gigantic, excited smile grace Natsu's lips and illuminate his face. "We're going to the lake today," he announced. "Fishing."

Juvia blinked. "Oh yes, Lucy told me that you and Happy liked fishing..." Then her cute, confused face returned. "...but why did you come all the way to Magnolia Hotel to tell us this?"

"And you're coming with us!"

Dark, blue eyes widened in confusion, then blinked. "Huh?"

"Aye!" Happy exclaimed, raising his paw. "Come with us, Juvia! It'll be easier to catch a lot of fish if you help us with your powers, you see?"

This time, both Sting and Rogue looked surprised, while the blue-haired Mage just kept blinking at them with doe eyes. That was it? Natsu was screaming at seven in the morning, bothering the whole town with his vocals and uncaring if he woke up everyone in the process, because he wanted to fish? Juvia couldn't believe it but again, this was something she didn't know about Natsu Dragneel; since she hadn't really interacted with him a lot ever since she had joined Fairy Tail (if anything, she had only talked to him when she absolutely had to. How rude for someone she considered as a friend.), the things she knew about the resident Fire Dragon Slayer were next to zero. A small smile graced her lips as she considered the idea. Fishing with a guild mate so they could bond even more. _That's not a bad idea_ , she thought as her smile grew. _Maybe I could bond with Natsu-san?_

"OK!" she found herself saying in a cheerful manner at the same time as Lector, whose face showed excitement and hunger and didn't look sleepy anymore.

As her mate Sting was halfway through refusing to let her go with another male – even though this was Natsu Dragneel, the blonde was still going to be extremely territorial over his blue-haired siren and protective of her –, thoroughly against the idea of Juvia spending time with someone else this early in the morning but when he saw her beaming face, the young guild master remembered something she had told him before after one heated tryst.

 _Juvia lay on her stomach, stark naked under the sheets that only covered her frame from her backside and her head stuck in a pillow as she gazed peacefully at a sleeping Lector next to her; the red Exceed had come back a little earlier after shopping with Frosch and Rogue in Crocus, feeling rather sleepy and beat. Sting and Juvia, despite being keen on mating during a whole day after days spent apart, had both agreed on taking a small break to give the cute kitty hours of nap. She smiled softly, reaching out to stroke his head. Lector gave a deep purr in his sleep, feeling the feminine touch, and the Water Mage stifled a laugh._

 _The warm, welcoming feeling of lips kissing the skin of her backside made her remember of the presence of her Dragon Slayer and Juvia shivered in pleasure, biting her own lips to prevent a moan to come out. "I knew you'd like him," her blonde lover whispered against her. She could feel his smile. "And he seems to like you as well, Siren," he purred wickedly, biting her skin higher now on the curve of her back. "Who can resist you, my little vixen?"_

" _I don't know, you tell me," Juvia breathed, her body arching slowly under his ministrations. "I was afraid that Lector might resent me for spending so much time with his idol, I know how much he adores you." This was said with a caring, loving smile._

 _Sting chuckled, his hands sliding along her hips to play with her generous breasts. His fingers twirled the little buds expertly as his hard, hot body pressed against hers. "The feeling is mutual, Siren." His hot breath tickled the left side of her neck, where he had created her mating mark, and he licked the skin. Very slowly. The blonde smirked in satisfaction as Juvia whimpered and shivered even more. "I told Lector about us the first night we slept together, so he had known from the beginning," he revealed, rolling his hips against her. "And since I couldn't be still without you around me, I just had to attract you here. To Sabertooth." **Where you'd be mine and with me every second of our life**. "Good thing your mission brought you nearby, or else I would have kidnapped you from Magnolia right away."_

 _Juvia chortled softly, stroking his golden locks tenderly and making him purr in delight. "Now that I would have loved to see. But then again, I would have come to you myself; this... pull between you and me drives me crazy when you're not by my side, Sting." She arched against him once again as his tongue trailed up the nape of her neck, his fingers pulling her cerulean hair on one side. "I-I just want... I want you with me all the time. Now, in two minutes, in ten, tomorrow, the following day – every day of my life. It's so painful not to be by your side." Her features were somehow strained, as if she was remembering the times when she had felt so lonely and miserable without him by her side. She didn't understand why she constantly needed and craved his presence, because she wouldn't know how to explain it; it didn't have anything to do with Gray Fullbuster and the fact that she hadn't thought about him that much during the times she had been with Sting Eucliffe was alarming. Very alarming._

" _I know, Darling. Believe me, I **know** ," Sting growled this sentence before sucking hard on her mating mark, reddening the skin even more than it was. His blue eyes were swirling with an emotion he had never dealt before because it made his heartbeat go wild and erratic in a way that not even lust could do; this blue-haired woman from Fairy Tail made him feel so... unique. The way she looked at him with those heated, wonderful eyes of hers that looked so similar to his made his heart swell in soaring joy because he was the center of her attention._

 _And he knew it will remain that way because of their status as mates._

" _Mmmh... I'm curious," Juvia whispered as he turned her to face him. Her wondering eyes met his inquiring orbs and she circled his neck with her arms as he settled between her thighs to make himself comfortable. "I've never noticed it before but since you and I..." She blushed and shyly averted her gaze, causing Sting to chuckle at her. The bluenette puffed out her cheeks, embarrassed. "Don't laugh, Sting! It's serious."_

 _Gods, she was just too cute and enthralling when she was shy. And to think she was a minx and a vixen in bed... "Alright, alright, I won't laugh," he said between two snickers, ignoring Juvia's dirty look. It took him about thirty seconds to calm down and he gazed at her longingly, pressing himself against her slightly. The smile never left his face. "Tell me, Siren," he whispered back, pushing a stray blue lock off her face._

 _She blinked, dazed. Then blinked rapidly to steady herself – damn those reactions and emotions whenever her mate went from sexily intimate to absolute tender. "Ever since I started sleeping with you after the Grand Magic Games, I just found myself wanting to... interact more with my guild mates. I don't know if it's another effect of the pull but the way I want to truly become friends with them is also growing stronger..."_

 _Sting mulled it over, furrowing his brows. Was it because she had never known friendship in her younger years before befriending Gajeel Redfox once in Phantom Lord? Juvia had told him how lonely she was as child back then and how people would get away from her because of the rain, always spoiling the sunny weather for the others around her. Friendship had always been a concept she had failed to grasp because she couldn't approach or be approached by anyone; young Juvia Lockser had earned her title as the Rain woman – a nickname she had grown to despise so much that whenever she heard it from someone who would make fun of, she'd fly off the handle and hurt. Really, really hurt._

 _Her sudden craving for friendship truly might be an effect from their connection as mates. She hadn't had many friends in her life after all, and Fairy Tail had become her ultimate chance to make some. Nevertheless, Sting felt the strong burning of possessiveness raging in his chest as soon as he processed the thought of his mate being approached by males. He did his best not to snarl but a sneer still managed to appear on his face. He didn't like it one. Fucking. Bit._

" _Hn. I understand that you want to interact more but I don't like it," he grumbled unhappily. "They might be your guild mates and friends but remember that, Juvia: I **will** instantly get jealous and territorial over you if you were to be approached by another male than me." His hold instinctively tightened around her and she closed her eyes, stroking his blonde locks and the nape of his neck in a caring, affectionate way. Sting fought back the urge to purr in delight because her touch felt amazing, still intent on stating his point. "But I understand this need of yours: besides having Gajeel as your only and best friend for a long time – you have to tell me how you two became so close, because that's one point we'll have to discuss, I'm inclined to know if there hasn't been anything more between you and him –, you didn't have the chance to taste friendship in its full glory." He groaned as he nuzzled his face in her ample chest, burying it in her bosoms. "What is ticking me off is the fact that I won't be there to keep all those bastards in check and away from you."_

 _The blonde didn't even react when his blue-haired naiad lightly punched his shoulder. "Careful there, my white dragon," she chastised in a soft voice. But then she sighed, relieved and happy that he understood her predicament because he could have downright refused. "My friends will only remain friends, you know. And you... you seem to be so much more to me, Sting. So, so **much more**." He could hear her smile as she whispered the last words, but the confusion was still there. "Will you explain to me why I feel so right in your arms, when you and I sleep together? That's kind of... confusing. But I can't tell you why I love it, it's just that I **love** it all."_

 _Hearing her say that never ceased to make him feel so much better. Hearing Juvia Lockser admit that she truly liked being around him never ceased to make his heart swell with barely concealable joy. Understanding that she couldn't even think about another man while being him with him made him so proud and unique in her eyes, because that was what he should be to her._

 _Smiling, Sting pressed a kiss on her skin, his fingers drawing patterns on her right hip. "Patience, Siren. Everything will become clear in due time."_

Of course. He knew that Juvia had been trying her best to interact more with her guild mates since they last talked about it and even though he still didn't like it, the blonde couldn't really forbid her this. He sighed as he scratched his golden locks, averting his eyes from her beaming, hopeful smile. If he looked at her, there was a chance he wouldn't be able to restrain himself from ravishing his blue-haired siren on the spot and damn Natsu Dragneel for interrupting them.

"Fine," Sting relented, making her squeal in delight. He chuckled as he eagerly welcomed her hug, caressing the bare, smooth skin of her backside. However, he pressed his lips to her ear to whisper a warning. "But I'm coming with you. No _freaking_ way I'm gonna leave you alone with another male, even if it's Natsu-san." Then he nipped her ear, leaving Juvia breathless and flushed. He smirked in amusement before giving Lector a high-five. "Let's go now!"

"Yeah, then Juvia-fairy can cook the fish after that!" the red Exceed exclaimed with a smile, his eyes sparkling at the thought of grilled fish with eggs. He had tasted Juvia's cooking once and had absolutely loved it, to the point he had told Sting he would sneak out to eat her cooking at her apartment in Magnolia if he wanted to.

This seemed to awaken both Frosch's and Happy's own hunger and interest. "Juvia, you can do that?" Happy asked excitedly.

The green Exceed turned toward the Water Mage, drool leaking from its smiling mouth. "Fro wants fish too!" he claimed, raising his paws in the air. The dark-haired Dragon Slayer sighed once again, but there was a tiny smile on his face as he looked at his best friend. No wonder why Lector wouldn't shut up about Juvia Lockser, she must be one hell of a great cook to have the red Exceed's approval.

At this rate, they'd wake up the whole hotel and the area as well. So Juvia raised her hands in surrender, giggling nervously. "Alright, alright, I'll do it," she assured in a hushed whisper, making everyone else quiet. "But would you mind quiet down a little bit? You're being loud." She puffed her cheeks, glaring playfully at the Exceeds for a second before retreating back into the room to grab her sandals. "Well, shall we go?" she asked as she put them on. Her blue eyes wandered to Sting, whose look was openly ogling her long, slender legs, and she stuck her tongue out at him. "Stop staring, my White Dragon, or you won't get any. I _mean_ it."

And Sting didn't bother questioning her, as he rushed past her to get dressed. Damn it, she knew how to work her way as well!

* * *

"Juvia-san, how did you know you were Sting's mate?" Rogue asked her when he finally got the chance to talk to her once his overprotective blonde partner was away, chatting with Natsu. He sat next to the blue-haired woman, who had splayed a blanket over the grass and brought a basket with snacks and drinks, his eyes following Frosch's movements as his ever distracted companion strolled with Lector to help Happy with the rod. "Did he tell you?"

It must be the first time that he and Juvia got to talk together – without Sting looming over them like a jealous, territorial mate. The last time he did that, Rogue had almost been blown away by a white beam from his partner. _Period_. And while Juvia had been worried, had yelled at the blonde for doing this (thus starting an argument between the two mates that had ended by the beautiful blue-haired Mage stating that they wouldn't have sex for three days, to Sting's utter horror.), the Shadow Dragon Slayer had discovered a caring side from her that had quickly made him think about the possibility of them becoming friends. Aside from Sting Eucliffe, Lector, Frosch and Yukino, he wasn't the best at warming up to others.

Juvia huffed, crossing her arms over her ample chest. "He didn't," she said. "He didn't say and I was left in the dark. _Gajeel_ told me everything about Dragon mating, because he had known about us. If I were to be a little bit paranoid, I'd say he had known from the beginning." Then she frowned, grumbling under her breath. "... I can't believe he didn't tell me right away, I would have understood."

"I warned him about that," he sighed, shaking his head. "I warned him that Gajeel might know that something was off with you but Sting didn't listen. That stupid, blonde knucklehead – my apologies," he quickly offered when Juvia snapped her head in his way to shoot him a warning stare, daring him to continue that sentence. Rogue lightly chuckled. "But that's how he usually is; brash and always quick on getting really excited. Though I'm actually kind of impressed and curious about the way you seem to handle all this, Juvia-san."

"How so?" Juvia inquired, her frown decreasing just a little.

His red eyes glanced at her. "Weren't you... infatuated with the Ice Mage from your guild? Now that you've accepted your status as a Dragon Slayer's mate, surely you must have gone through something horrible to make Sting unstable; he was agitated and feral, it took us hours to restrain him from storming to you. But in the end he calmed down, as if whatever crisis he had been going through had finally died out. What happened to you that day, Juvia-san?"

 _Oh_. _He had noticed as well._ Juvia gazed at him silently, her frown now gone from her face as she assessed his question. She should have known that her previous breakdown would have the similar effect on Sting, prompting him to feel the urge to be by her side – the bluenette had needed both her best friend _and_ the White Dragon with her that day, she had to admit it. The thoughts that had raced in her head had awoken the fear of being seen as a slut by everyone she cared deeply about because she had slept with someone else than the man she profusely claimed to love, so she had first seen it as a sort of betrayal. Loyalty was one of her best qualities and though she had wanted to remain loyal to Gray Fullbuster, the pull between her and Sting had been stronger; Juvia had felt the need, this _painful_ need to be close to the Dragon Slayer of Sabertooth, to touch him and never leave his side ever since their very first contact. She hadn't missed the way her heart had suddenly picked up the pace whenever his hand brushed hers, she hadn't missed the way he had looked at her whenever she had seemed to lose herself in his eyes because no one had ever looked at her this way, she hadn't missed how he stuck so close to her after they had snuck away from the ball with Lector in tow, she hadn't missed how much she had loved it when Sting had kissed her senseless because that had been at that moment that she had lost it to surrender herself to the pull – she hadn't missed anything because deep down, deep down, Juvia had wanted it, still wanted it and will want it forever now. The guilt had clung to her weeks later, heart wrenching and painful, when she had realized that the feelings and emotions she felt toward Gray Fullbuster just couldn't compare to those she was now feeling toward Sting Eucliffe: the blonde had elicited more, far more than just pleasure from being taken so roughly and that was what Juvia Lockser had felt so guilty about.

She had loved it. And she desired him more than anything. Realization had struck home so she had cried, cried and cried hard for hours, creating a storm that rivalled her sorrow of having to move on; clinging to unrequited feelings toward someone who had constantly brushed her off was unhealthy, ruining. While her mind, soul, body and heart were now craving another man since they had first slept together on that fateful night after the Grand Magic Games, Juvia had first been horrified to find out that she couldn't feel for Gray Fullbuster anymore – all this love and all this affection for him were gone, erased from her heart. Even looking at the Gray-dolls had started to repulse her, so she had gotten rid of these. Everything that screamed her 'love' for the Ice Mage from Fairy Tail had had to disappear since Juvia couldn't find the strength or the will to harbour feelings for him – Sting Eucliffe was now the recipient of all this.

She brought her knees close to her chest, circled them with her arms as she gazed at the lake. The sun beams reflected onto the surface of the clear water, creating a vivid, beautiful aura to this zone. "I had a breakdown – an emotional breakdown," she revealed. "Gray Fullbuster was the man I used to love for a very long time before my path crossed Sting's. As you must have guessed, it was an unrequited love but I was so determined to get his attention that I had thought I should remain loyal to him; loyalty is one of my best qualities... but also a default, now that I think about it." She blinked, smiling ruefully. "My love for Gray could have – _would have_ ruined me now that I've realized that fact. I still didn't know about Dragon mating but I could feel the changes around me and in my behaviour; all my thoughts and focus would go to Sting, because I craved his presence. I wanted him by my side."

Her eyes found her mate and her smile turned a bit more cheerful and – Rogue couldn't help but be stunned at the sight of it – loving. Watching Sting trying to take the rod off Natsu's hands while the salmon-haired Dragon Slayer had a hand on his face to push him back made her giggle in amusement, because the sight was just too funny.

"I felt so guilty to think that I had been disloyal to Gray that I broke down," she continued in a solemn tone. "You see, Rogue-san, I'm a person who treasures friendship above everything else and while he may not have viewed me as a potential lover or something close to that, Gray had still remained dear to me. Well, this... changed, somehow. Those feelings I had for him had to vanish because, at the same time, there were those emotions and feelings I've begun to feel toward Sting and they were so much stronger that it just felt... _right_. As if I had found my place in his arms, around him – by his side."

"You decided to move on and give in to your actual status as a Dragon Slayer's mate, even though you still didn't know at that time," the dark-haired Dragon Slayer said, humming. When she nodded, his red eyes drifted toward his blonde partner. "Hn. Maybe he unconsciously knew what he was doing when he didn't tell you about Dragon mating: maybe Sting had a hunch that you might have wanted to sort out your feelings first before entering a relationship with him, because you're right. Moving on is hard to do when you've loved someone for so long and maybe he had sensed that you would have needed to cry first before accepting your status as his mate."

They both gazed at the blonde, thoughtful. Had he really thought about that too?

Juvia giggled once more, smiling widely and eyes gleaming. "Yes, maybe he did!" she chirped. "Maybe he unconsciously thought that I might have needed to move on on my own before accepting him fully." She added, in a whisper she thought Sting could hear with his heigthened senses. "That I needed clarity before accepting what Fate had brought me."

Rogue didn't look that convinced. "It's still incredible to think that he's been this patient to wait until you gave yourself to him willingly," he retorted sarcastically with a snort. "Kidnapping you would have been his ultimate move, should you have decided not to be his mate. I can see him doing something like that."

"Ah, Sting did say he would have done that one day!"

Rogue and Juvia looked at each other for a second – one looked incredulous and the other was thoroughly amused. Then they both burst out laughing, relaxed and amused – so sudden that it drew both Sting's and Natsu's attention, who turned toward them with wide, surprised eyes. The blonde was more stunned, because it truly was a rare sight to see his partner laugh openly with someone – Rogue was always so serious and reserved that making him smile or laugh willingly looked like the hardest thing to do and, if Sting were to be honest, seeing him so relaxed around his mate kind of made him feel a little bit jealous. The urge to go there, wrap his arms protectively around Juvia's waist to draw her against him and snarl at Rogue was burning in his chest, so he did just that: before he knew it, he was sitting behind his lovely blue-haired mate, his legs on each side of her and his arms wrapped around her body to pin her against his hard chest. Sting nuzzled her neck, inhaling her insanely good scent. _Lavender and water lilies_ , he guessed with a small smirk as he listened to her giggling. She leaned in his embrace, her hands caressing his arms.

"What are you laughing at?" he asked innocently – as innocently as he could. "Tell me so I can join you in the fun as well."

Juvia chortled, her grin widening in mischief. "Remember when you said that you'd kidnap me if I didn't go to you willingly?" she asked, turning toward him to kiss his jaw. The blonde hummed his positive answer, still nuzzling her neck in an affectionate way. "I find it strangely romantic, you know."

Rogue snorted again, trying his best to stifle his laughter. Sting snapped his head at him, baring his fangs and daring him to snort again. The dark-haired Dragon Slayer merely grinned slyly as he took some soda from the basket Juvia had brought with them, unclasped the canteen and took a gulp.

However, Natsu's laugh came in. "By the way, Sting," he piped in, his smirk becoming teasing and quite mischevious. That got the blonde's attention. "Was it you who had the idea to do the deed in Lucy's apartment? Because it reeked of your and Juvia's scents!"

And this got the expected reaction Natsu Dragneel wanted: Rogue sputtered, spitting all the soda he'd been drinking due to his shock, Juvia's face suddenly heated up because of all the sudden attention and the incredulous stares of Happy and Lector snapping at her – Frosch was thankfully too ensnared in his concern over Rogue's coughing fit to actually care about the real commotion –, making her hands fly to her burning cheeks and Sting, being the only one who wouldn't really be that affected by such statement since he had known he would be caught by Natsu, just grinned widely in cockiness toward the salmon-haired Mage.

The blonde rested his chin on Juvia's shoulder. "You bet it was me!" he boasted. "Siren here was opposed to it but I managed to convince her that it was worth it; Blondie was being way too nosy for my liking."

Natsu burst out laughing, throwing his head back in newfound mirth. Rogue finally found his tongue. "You could have just let it go!" he exclaimed hoarsely, his visible eye bulging. "Why in the hell would you deprave someone else's house just because you were interrupted during your mating? That's just..." He seemed to shudder in apprehension, revulsed in the idea of someone doing this to his own place. Rogue would have pummeled the culprit to death should something like that happen to him – Frosch will remain innocent as ever, no matter what.

Sting lightly frowned, drawing patterns on Juvia's bare thighs to ease her embarrassment. "She would have discovered our relationship, Rogue," he said as a matter-of-fact. "And though I don't know her, Blondie would have had the guild informed before the end of the day. You imagine all the fuss? The prying?" He groaned, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "We like our privacy for the moment, thank you very much."

"But... in her _bedroom_?!" Rogue was mortified. "What are you, a sex-pranker?!"

The blonde snickered, eliciting his blue-haired maiden's mumbles of deepest apology. "Oh, I remember now: you wanted me to shut up because you were too prude and overprotective of Frosch's well-preserved innocence. _But_ ," he drawled as he gave his partner a crooked smirk, blue eyes glinting. "when did you actually hear me say we only did it in her bedroom, huh?"

Lector chose this moment to praise his best friend's awesomness. "Oh yeah, you told me about it! It must have been awesome, Sting!" he said with a proud grin, his arms crossed over his chest. "I knew you had it in you! But wasn't it a bit too much to do it in every room of her apartment?"

Even Happy couldn't restrain his shock. "Whoa...!" the blue Exceed exclaimed, his obsidian eyes wide.

The salmon-haired Dragon Slayer barked another uncontrolled laugh as Juvia squeaked at the same time, steam evaporating from her body because of the mentions to her and Sting's tryst at Lucy's apartment – this had to be the most sinful, yet most exciting things she had done in her life, besides all the secrecy over her relationship with the master of Sabertooth. He had been right: she had wanted it as well and even though she knew that her blonde friend would have some problems with her nearby neighbours because of the loud moans and screams that must have reverberated well enough to be heard, Juvia couldn't help but feel sorry for having done that.

* * *

In said apartment, said blonde hadn't been able to stop the annoying sneezing fit that had woken her up; she sat in her bed, crumpled tissues all over the ground.

 _What the hell?_ She thought with a scowl right after sneezing once more. _Who's talking about me that much to wake me up at seven in the freaking morning?_

* * *

" _You_ are gonna come with me, whether you like it or not," Gray said confidently. The Ice Mage was still, luckily, wearing his clothes on and had a determined stare on his stony face as he declared the next words. "I need someone to make sure I won't totally fuck up and since you're the best monitor here and a very good friend who can't refuse another friend's request, you are going with me. Besides, you're finally Juvia's friend. And you also want to help me, despite Natsu's warning. Isn't that right, _Lucy_?" The dark-haired man narrowed his eyes at the pretty lady before him.

 _How right he was_. The blonde Celestial Mage stared at Gray, her cheeks puffed out in indignation. Her afternoon really couldn't be better than this; while she truly was glad to be Juvia's friend, the idea of prying into her business sounded way too rude – even though she was trying, with the help of Mirajane, Cana and Erza, to uncover her secret over the 'relationship' she seemed to have with Laxus. The risk of endangering a newly built friendship with the Water Mage was just too high for Lucy but, at the same time, Gray was now holding her to her promise to help him fix his damaged friendship with Juvia – damn her for being so kind-hearted and quick to do something idiotic. Erza will give her an earful about this.

"And what makes you think I will stay in the shadows to watch if you make any progress with Juvia?" Lucy countered, putting her hands on her hips. She defiantly stared up at Gray, intent on making her point across. "You don't need a real monitor, you just have to be careful with your words or you would make her cry. Does this sound _that_ hard to you?"

He frowned at her. "It is when you don't know how unpredictable Juvia is. It's more than likely that she'll act strangely and do whatever it takes to drive me away from her or actually run away."

Lucy mulled it over for a few seconds. Then sighed. " _Point_. Considering the fact that you haven't talked to each other in weeks, it's possible. But still, you have to try. I'm sick of seeing you miserable over the fact that Juvia doesn't give you the time of day anymore."

" _Shut up_!" he exclaimed, turning his head so that the blonde wouldn't see the faint, yet present blush on his face. "Are you gonna help me or not?"

"Yeah, yeah," she assured, feeling a little bit exasperated. _Natsu is going to berate me for doing this_. Then her brown drifted over the dorm of Fairy Hills, where Gray had dragged her to 'back him up' should he fuck this up. Lucy didn't know if Juvia was in her apartment today but if she was, then she might not have to stay hidden and could be able to reach Erza's place to fill her in. What she had heard on Sunday afternoon would forever be fixed in her mind – Juvia being sexed in a mind-shattering way. _Hell_. How did the Water Mage manage to find herself a man that could drive her to a pitch without anyone else noticing a damn thing? The Celestial Mage would have to ask her for some tips.

Just as Gray was about to enter the dorm, the door opened on its own and revealed a surprised, scarlet-haired woman who looked at them both.

"Gray? Lucy? What are you doing –" Erza stopped herself, blinking in wonder. Then she gave the Ice Mage a knowing smile who had stiffened upon seeing her. "Are you going to see Juvia today? So you've finally heeded my advice. That's good to know."

The Ice Mage shook himself, giving the older woman a nervous stare. "Err... yeah, well... I first want to talk to her so we could, at the very least, rekindle our friendship where it seemed to have met an unwilling end," Gray revealed, averting his gaze to the ground.

"Oh." The knight sounded almost... disappointed. But she quickly covered it with a smile as she crossed her arms under her chest. "It's good to hear you've decided to talk to her but unfortunately for you, Juvia isn't in her apartment at the moment," Erza told her friends, sending an apologetic wince to Gray as he scowled and groaned in annoyance. "And I don't know where she might be right now. Maybe with Gajeel?"

This caused Gray's scowl to deepen. " _As. If_!" he hissed. "Like hell I'm going near Iron Head, he'll just end up pissing me off for nothing before I got to talk to Juvia. He's the one who's been preventing me from talking to her most of the times I tried to approach her and you want me to ask him where his best friend is? No. Just _hell no_."

Maybe he should have attacked Gajeel with his ice for trying to interfere, maybe he should have imprisoned him in ice so he could freely go talk to the blue-haired woman who had been avoiding him for the past few weeks following the end of the Grand Magic Games, maybe he should have –

"I should have gone straight to her apartment on Sunday afternoon," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Mira told me she was off the hook for a moment but I should have gone to her so we –"

Lucy's brown eyes widened in slight panic as she processed what he was saying: had he finally decided to go to Juvia's place, he would have discovered – "Oh _no_. No, no, no, no, no, you shouldn't have!" the blonde Celestial Mage quickly cut him off with a nervous laugh, waving her hands in front of her with a sheepish expression on her face, which got the other two's surprise looks. But Erza's gaze almost immediately turned to a suspicious one when she felt nervosity emanating from Lucy like a cloud over her head. "She was tired, Gray. And she truly wanted to sleep."

Gray raised an eyebrow. "So? You _did_ see her, right?" She nodded, still smiling nervously, and he frowned again in suspicion. " _Now what_ , Lucy? What are you hiding that you didn't tell me?"

"Gray," Erza said calmly, yet sternly. She put a hand on his shoulder to hold him in place. "Calm down, will you? You shouldn't get so worked up, that could have bad repercussions on your future talk with Juvia. Don't blow up on Lucy, she didn't do anything." She emphasized her words by throwing a sharp glance at the brown-eyed woman that said _'We'll talk later. You're not getting away with this.'_ and the blonde firmly nodded, eyes shining in relief.

 _Yes_. Yes, Erza was right. Why was he so on edge? Just the mere thought of the blue-haired woman who had been on his mind for a few days involved in something as crazy as a 'secret relationship' with Laxus Dreyar was enough to make him want to punch the older blonde bastard for touching Juvia in an intimate way – again, this possessive side of his when it concerned her was becoming a problem. He didn't harbour romantic feelings for Juvia Lockser, that he was sure about. However, Gray still felt that she had become too important for him to lose her friendship over a man who couldn't deserve everything that made the Water Mage; her selfless personality, her incredible kindness that made her one of the most beautiful women in Fairy Tail. And her friendship itself was a rare treasure Gray Fullbuster would like to keep for himself (he didn't care if he sounded selfish, because he was; if he needed Juvia's friendship, then he'll get it back. No matter what.). Snapping at Lucy wouldn't solve his predicament, only serve at worsening things with Juvia should he be pissed off when he'd got to talk to her.

 _Calm down_. The dark-haired man exhaled and sighed deeply, rubbing his eyes. _Keep your head_. "Right," he muttered. Then he repeated, louder. "Right. Sorry, Luce. Guess I was a bit out of line." Gray offered her a slight, strained smile he thought that truly looked apologetic.

The Celestial Mage shook her head, understanding. "No problem. You're stressed, so I can only sympathize with you." _I just hope he won't flip out when he finds out what Juvia's been up to._ "Actually, I envy you," she said as her mood soured and she scowled. "My housekeeper has been ranting to me for something I didn't do for two whole days now!"

"Oh?" Erza raised her brows quizzically, intrigued. "What could she be upset about, now? I thought you were in good terms with her."

Before the blonde could voice her frustration and complete incomprehension of the situation she was now thrown into for something she didn't do on Monday, a loud rumbling could be heard in the whole area, startling the three Mages and the people around them. The earth beneath them started to shake a little, making Lucy squeak in fright as she instinctively clutched Gray's arm. _What now?_ It sounded as if a volcano was about to erupt.

"W-what's going on? An earthquake?!" she shrieked, her eyes going wild.

"Stop screaming, will ya!" Gray shouted back. "I don't want to be deaf because of your banshee-like shrieks!"

Erza was the first to regain her composure as she stepped forward in a battle stance, already looking for the source of this 'earthquake'. But before she could head in one specific direction, there was a large, gigantic waterspout that appeared out of nowhere and nearly reached the sky not far from the position of the three Fairy Tail Mages, who could only look at the phenomenom in silent awe. That giant waterfall turned out to be some kind of geyser – a very powerful one if it could make the earth shake that much.

"Mama, Mama! Look!" a little boy exclaimed to his mother, pointing at the sky with a beaming, awestruck smile. "Something is falling from the sky!"

"What?" someone inquired, looking up as well.

"Hey, is that –"

 _Yes, it was. And really? Did the weather announce this for today as a surprise?_

And there were so many of them! Erza didn't think twice as she ducked the first projectile – _living_ projectile, she might add – and ran to find shelter in the dorm's roof, taking Gray and Lucy by the arm with her (the blonde wasn't lucky or quick enough, as she received one projectile on the head, making her cry and curse in disgust because of the sticky substance. Gray would have laughed heartily, had he not almost stumbled forward because of his own projectile that hit him in the back of his head.). The red-haired woman watched the weird phenomenom from a nearby window with a startled expression, mouth agape. It was pretty common to witness strange events in Magnolia that was linked with magic, so she shouldn't be that surprised but...

"What's going on?" Lucy asked once again in irritation, brushing her blonde hair frenetically to rid herself from the sticky substance.

"What... the hell?" Gray muttered, scowling at the sight of this circus. "Has the weather announced _this_? A rain of fish _and_ a waterspout?!"

While some people were laughing at this particular event, others were kind of put off as they claimed that it would smell like fish for a long while – and others were complaining because they've been hit by living fish, thus also getting wet by the water raining on them. Erza narrowed her brown eyes toward the way the giant waterspout had appeared; it hadn't been a natural one, because she had felt a powerful surge of magic that came from someone she knew very well. And since this someone was the only Water Mage powerful enough to do something like that, that could only mean –

"Let's go!" the red-haired knight claimed, getting out of their improvised shelter to run toward the source of this watery phenomenom. "I have a pretty good idea who did that!"

Gray and Lucy followed her, the latter still growling in annoyance because she would be soaking wet. "I'm ready to bet my next pay rent that Natsu is involved in this," the blonde groaned, her eyes flashing dangerously and teeth grinding together as she seethed.

When the three of them neared the area where they could feel the magical source, they heard a chorus of laughter reverberating around. Some were easily recognizable as Natsu's and Happy's, but the others sounded alien. Erza, Lucy and Gray looked at each other, confused and curious as well, and decided to push past the vegetation to find out (and avoid the still raining fishies. Just how many of them were they?). The scene they discovered wasn't... what they really expected to see.

Not what Gray really, really expected to see.

One, two, three cats – no, _Exceeds_. One was blue, another was red and the last one was green and wearing a pink frog suit. Then, one, two, three, four people. Four mages. One had familiar salmon hair, another one had cerulean hair that reminded everyone of the bright sky, another one had golden locks as bright as the sun and the last one had hair as dark as night. All of them were drenched, drenched to the bone. But they were all laughing joyously, laughing so hard that they were practically on their knees and had tears in their eyes. The source of their laughter? That giant heap of fish gathered before them and the surprise they must have given to everyone in Magnolia. Lucy and Erza were blinking hard, trying to understand the whole predicament here, and the third person was staring intently at the only two people embracing one another. In fact, Gray was staring with incredulous, confused eyes at the only woman of the group that was being embraced by the blonde man in an – he couldn't bring himself to actually believe what his eyes were seeing. No, absolutely not. – intimate way.

There were many women with blue hair, that he was sure of it. But no other woman had legs that wonderful and beautiful to ogle at; they were shapely and slender, toned and long. The kind of thighs that would drive a lustful man just plain crazy just by feeling them wrapped around his hips. Since they all were soaked, the water served to enhance the creamy white skin Juvia was always so reluctant to show around and now, Gray knew why; her white blouse also showed a tiny sample of the ample bosoms she'd been gifted and since she wasn't wearing shorts, her lacy underwear was visible – this vision, something that would have embarrassed him to no end because Juvia would usually go out of line to make herself 'irresistible' before him, instantly made his blood rush to his groin. He almost gawked, stunned of the effect that sinful sight provoked on him, and even he couldn't prevent his mind from showing him the dirty images that flashed at great speed.

But what – _who the hell_ was the man with his arms wrapped around her and his chin on her shoulder as if they were lovers? From what he could tell, he realized with eyes wide in complete disbelief, from what he could tell...

 _This isn't Laxus._ _This isn't Laxus. This isn't Laxus. This isn't Laxus. This isn't Laxus. This isn't Laxus. This. Isn't. Laxus_ , his mind kept chanting to him. However, even if the blonde man right here with Juvia wasn't Laxus Dreyar, he couldn't surrender to great relief as his jaw grew slack when he recognized him.

"Why... why is Juvia in Sting Eucliffe's arms?" Lucy wondered slowly, her tone loud enough for her two friends to hear her. She was as confused as Gray was, if not more. Her brows were knitted together as she stared up at the blue-haired woman and the young guild master of Sabertooth in total failure to grasp the logic of said sight, whose hands had started to massage her hips beneath the drenched blouse.

"I... don't know?" Erza uncharastically stammered, just as lost as the others, when Juvia started to squeal and laugh once again in Sting's embrace – something that made her and Lucy widen their eyes in disbelief as they watched their blue-haired friend squirm in the grinning blonde's arms. Erza blinked again, then more repeatedly because the whole scene was both surreal and confusing; _why_ was Juvia in Sting Eucliffe's arms, laughing and smiling this cheerfully? What was Sting Eucliffe doing here?

"Ah! S-stop that, Sting!" Juvia managed to exclaim between her peals of laughter, still squirming and attempting to escape his tickling fingers.

But the blonde held her pinned against his chest, snickering in mirth. "Then stop me, Siren," he just said, diving in to nip her neck. This elicited a stifled sound that both Erza and Lucy would never have thought that could come out from Juvia. And that made them gawk, their jaws falling.

 _She moaned._

Their eyes flew over to Gray, whose face had suddenly gone blank. It was shadowed by his bangs and though Erza couldn't see his eyes, she could feel a dark look being thrown at Juvia and Sting. Even his hands had tightened to curled, trembling fists. The red-haired knight winced slightly as she recognized that emotion from the Ice Mage – his possessive side was surfacing and, since Gray was quick to lose his temper when Juvia was the subject of the conversation, the fact that he was about to snap would certainly ensure lots of drama – the presence of the Twin Dragons and their Exceeds with Natsu and Juvia was weird enough but seeing both Sting and the Water Mage this close as if they were lovers was stranger.

Natsu finally chose this moment to calm down. "Nice, Juvia!" he exclaimed, grinning widely. "Now we've got plenty of fish for at least two months! Great job with that waterspout, I bet everyone in town must be shocked to see fish raining down the sky." He barked another laugh, slapping his knee.

"Aye! And she can cook it now!" Happy said, flying in the air, grinning in glee and anticipated hunger. He turned toward the Water Mage. "Juvia, can you do it now?"

"Fro wants grilled fish too!" Frosch was beaming at the blue-haired naiad, his obsidian eyes sparkling.

It took time for Juvia to sober up but Sting eventually stopped tickling her and held her, her body flushed against his; she was panting, her face just as flushed as and tears of laughter shining in her blue eyes, but she was smiling cheerfully. "Alright, then!" she sang, giggling as she wound her arms around Sting's neck, who grinned cheekily at her and slid his hands toward her ass to pull her closer to him. When Gray saw her looking up at him with those infinitely soft eyes he grounded his teeth together, failing to understand what was that burning sensation in his chest. _Was that... jealousy?_ _Actual jealousy?_

"Feeling like waiting a little longer?" she asked him sweetly, pressing herself against him – Erza and Lucy openly gawked at this, stunned – and actually not freaking out at the blonde Dragon Slayer. It looked like she was enjoying being touched by him; her smile looked sweet and sincere and her eyes...

Juvia used to look at Gray like this, she did. With those enamoured, heated eyes. Juvia Lockser used to look at her 'Gray-sama' as if he was the best thing in the world and at this moment, it would seem that Sting Eucliffe _was_ the best thing in the world in her eyes.

"If I get to have you later, then yes," he said, shrugging his jacket off to put it around Juvia's shoulders in such a way that Lucy herself felt a tad envious. The blue-haired woman accepted it without complaining, then threw her arms around Sting's neck once again, smiling gratefully. "Besides," he continued, smirking as he put his forehead against hers to make sure he had her attention. "I think it's high time to confront those three spies behind us: Frosty's been ogling you for five minutes now and I _fucking don't like it_." he finished with a snarl as he snapped his head toward Erza, Lucy and Gray, breaking his embrace and stepping protectively in front of Juvia.

As soon as he spat those words, everyone else around them sobered and turned around to discover the three intruders. Suddenly remembering that she wasn't in an appropriate clothing she quickly protected herself with Sting's jacket, blushing hard and hiding behind the blonde. The Ice Mage, who had had enough of this utter nonsense, stepped into the clearing and his eyes narrowed darkly at the White Dragon Slayer. Erza and Lucy followed suit, the latter more hesitantly as she eyed all the people near that heap of fish but eventually focused more on Sting, whose blue eyes had lost their playful and heated glint toward the Water Mage and now looked scorching. Almost murderous. And that stance; Sting was standing before the blue-haired woman, his frame shielding her from prying eyes and his knees slightly bent. His gaze was locked dead on Gray, who looked ready to jump at his throat if not for Erza's tight grip on his shoulder to prevent him from doing so. The Sabertooth guild master didn't seem fazed by the change in the atmosphere as he never relaxed his stance. It was as if he was doing it on purpose, acting like a possessive animal. As if he was protecting something – _someone_.

 _Juvia?_ Lucy realized with a startled gasp.

"Erza? Lucy? Gray?" Natsu called, walking toward them. His eyes surveyed them and then entirely focused on his rival, whose gaze didn't even drift toward him as he kept glaring at his fellow Dragon Slayer. The salmon-haired inwardly cursed as he quickly grasped the situation here, so he put on a facade and smiled his signature grin. "So, whatcha up to?" He needed to calm things down here, he needed to calm things down here quickly before they got out of line. _And Gray certainly is about to snap really bad_.

"Natsu, what's going on here?" Erza inquired – or rather demanded. Her brown eyes had surveyed the zone rapidly, seen the fish and had concluded this: Juvia had created the waterspout and made all those fish fly everywhere. As big as it was, Natsu must have spurred or encouraged her to do so. Because it truly looked like it was his own idea. "Do you know how many of those fish have –"

"That's not the fucking point right now. What the _fuck_ is going on here? What the _fuck_ are _they_ doing here?" Gray all but brutally cut her off, his voice gaining an angry edge Juvia had never heard before, which made her stiffen in surprise behind her hiding spot. _Why does he sound so... angry?_ She peeked over Sting's shoulder to look at her former love interest with wondering eyes, unconsciously putting her hands around the bare flesh of his hips and squeezing. Juvia felt him relax ever so slightly, but she could tell he didn't let his guard down.

When her eyes locked with Gray's, she suddenly felt cold. So cold. As if her blood had completely run cold in her veins. As if her body was shivering from the cold – which wasn't normal, since the sun was pretty hot today. The dark look in Gray's eyes was frightening.

But it didn't shock her as much as his next words did.

 _"Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man?"_

Could she say that he didn't mean it? Could she even defend his words and say that it was just out of anger?

Even Juvia Lockser had her limits when it concerned Gray Fullbuster.

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 **Author's Note 1:** Bloody hell. Usually I don't use cliffhangers because it only serves to awaken your hungry side to know what's going to happen next (J'peux déjà vous entendre: _'UPDAAAAAAATE!' 'NOOOOOOO, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!'_ Haha.), but since this chapter is split into two parts, you'll have your surprises. So I think the next omake has to wait a little – I already have an idea, since those who voted chose Natsu Dragneel as the character you want me to cast in. Oh, and I hope your Christmas was good and you had plenty of food - my tummy still remembers all the food I got it. Haha, that was crazy.

 **Author's Note 2:** Qui veut que le prochain Arc de Fairy Tail – à savoir, Tartaros – commence après le chapitre six? (MOI, JE VEUX!) Et aussi... fêtez bien le Nouvel An!

 **Next Chapter:** _Clarity For You_ (Part Two)


	6. Clarity For You (Part Two)

**Summary:** _"_ _Who makes you moan? Who makes you scream in pleasure and joy? I. Fucking. Do._ _What's mine is mine and sharing isn't an option_ _I'd even_ _have the idiocy to consider."_

 _After the Grand Magic Games, Juvia_ _Lockser_ _took time to reflect on her life – including Gray Fullbuster. Something she wouldn't have done on her own since she was always caught up in her fantasy._ _It hurt like a bitch to realize that a one-sided love would never be returned, it truly did. And moving on was even harder to do. But still, Juvia swore to do so._ _Somehow, there's a way for everything._

 **Genre:** _Drama/Friendship._

 **Disclaimer:** To say that Fairy Tail belongs to me is pure fantasy. Hiro Mashima remains the creator and has all the rights.

 **/!\ Warning: This fan-fiction has tons of smut and I won't tell when and where you'll read them in those chapters. I'm unpredictable, huh! Minors have been warned and if you're caught off guard...remember that this fan-fiction is rated M. Read the summary carefully before launching yourself on this story.**

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… In which drama takes form and friendships seem to be fatally severed.

 **/!** **\ Warning:** This chapter might be violent. Scratch that, it _is_ physically, mentally violent and full of drama because of Gray, just like you've wanted it. You asked for it, you got it.

[ **Am I right to think that you guys know** _Attack on Titan_ , **right? Have you listened to the magnificent soundtracks?** **So I've been listening to two of them while writing this chapter:** _Vogel im Kafig_ **&** _Call Your Name_. **Ah** , **and there's also** _Powerless_ **from** Linkin Park. **Enjoy**.]

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 **Chapter Six:** _Clarity For You_ ( **Part** Two)

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" _Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man? Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man? Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man? Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man? Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man? Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man? Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man? Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man? Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man? Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man? Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man? Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man? Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man? Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man? Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man? Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man? Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man? Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man?"_

 **Woah**. **Incredible**. She slammed shut the lid of the toilet with such force that the noise seemed to reverberate all over the guild and even over the whole area. Outside, the thunder rumbled loudly not too long after – the perfect and terrifying echo of the uncharacteristic, cold fury Juvia Lockser was feeling right now. Even though it was just a natural thunderstorm. Because _hell_ , who could have thought that such words coming out from the mouth of someone she treasured as a very close, special friend despite his coldness could have such impact? **Woah**. **She still couldn't believe it**. Those words just kept repeating themselves into her mind, just as cold, meaningless and heartless as the man was when he pronounced them two weeks and a half ago; as much as she wanted to convince herself that Gray Fullbuster couldn't possibly mean them and had talked out of anger, it still had wrecked something inside her chest. It still had shocked her to such level. It still had left a deep mark in her mind. It still had triggered her wrath. And Sting's, above all. **Woah**. **She had no other words to describe such disrespect and behaviour from that man**. Juvia gritted her teeth, her fists tightened under her chest as she crossed her arms and walked out of the bathroom of the guild, making her presence known from those – was that courage or foolishness? The blue-haired Water Mage couldn't decide which would suit them better, since they all had been warned to stay clear of her path for the next days. Or weeks, depending of her will to cool down or not. – who had dared to come all the way to Fairy Tail despite the shitstorm that had been raining down on Magnolia since the last confrontation between Gray Fullbuster and Sting Eucliffe. Fairy Tail against Sabertooth. _Once again_. The Water Mage narrowed her eyes to those who dared to sneak a wary glance at her as she walked toward the doors, intent on taking her leave. Just as she had expected she was now being judged because of her relationship with Sting Eucliffe, for it was no longer a secret due to his unexpected fight with Gray Fullbuster; Titania Erza Scarlet, as dutiful as ever, had revealed everything she had learned from Sting's explanations since Juvia hadn't been able to provide anything due to her shock. Master Makarov had understood the predicament, of course, but that certainly didn't mean that Juvia Lockser, Gray Fullbuster and the guild master of Sabertooth would be excused. Besides fighting one another, they had forgotten something very important: _"_ _Whatever the reason, whatever excuse you have, y_ _ou_ _just_ _can't and don't hurt a friend. Intentionally._ _He may have deeply hurt you with words that you certainly don't deserve, but he still remains your family. Find the strength within to forgive him. A family cannot function properly when there is unrest and negative intent between members._ _"_

 **Goddamn it**. **She still couldn't believe that she should find the will to forgive the man she had grown to love for years after such disrespect**. **Whether Master's orders were absolute or not, she didn't know if her heart would be able to forgive this**.

Her master's words had reached her ears, her mind – and Juvia knew she had to try, with all her might, to forgive the Ice Mage for his harsh and unacceptable words. Also, she was aware of the edge that had taken everyone else in the guild since her relationship with Sting Eucliffe had become public knowledge in Fairy Tail; the details of her mate and Gray's fight in town had been described as both violent and merciless from both sides and Juvia, because she was always the kind of woman who would look for the others and find a peaceful way to calm things down, had just taken one's side. As much as she hated doing this kind of bullshit, because it only served to create more drama and unrest.

" _What – what are you doing?" Gray Fullbuster's whisper was dripping with stunned disbelief because of the sight presented in front of him. He wasn't the only one to be muted in silent stupor; both Erza Scarlet and Lucy Heartfilia were staring at the blue-haired Water Mage with widened eyes, too bewildered to say something coherent. Because Juvia Lockser was doing something that seemed so surreal and contradictory that the only emotion they could feel was astonishment._

 _Indeed, one would wonder why the lovely Juvia Lockser, also called the 'Stormbringer of Fairy Tail', was standing between Gray Fullbuster and Sting Eucliffe with her arms raised on each side of her body in order to protect and prevent someone from being hurt – the Ice Mage had fallen into a battle stance, his hands fisted in one another to use his magic, and Sting had done the same; he had activated the White Drive, which would allow him to go faster should he strike. And from the feral, murderous look plastered on his face, the blonde was ready to rip the older mage to shreds after hearing his comment on his mate. His blue eyes, usually soft, intense and enamoured when they looked at Juvia, mischevious and almost child-like when they looked at Lector, Frosch and Rogue (Yukino sometimes, because she had become a friend. A good one.), admirative and competitive when they looked at Natsu Dragneel, now looked like two icy, shiny pools of striking blue orbs that promised one hell of a bloody beating. The killing intent coming out of the guild master was strong, very strong – so strong that the Fire Dragon Slayer himself was slowly backing off, his features contorted in angry horror._

 _Horror for his rival Gray, who had just insulted a Dragon Slayer's mate in front of said Dragon Slayer, horror for Gray because he couldn't tell if he was going to come out of the incoming bloodshed unscathed and in one piece – horror for the Water Mage because she, long before she and Sting met and bonded, was just accused of cheating on someone she had never dated and insulted by the man she had loved for years. Natsu was no medium, he wouldn't be able to know if the blue-haired woman would find the strength and will to forgive such words coming out of Gray's mouth but he was sure of one thing._

 **You just don't insult a Dragon Slayer's mate and get away with it. You may talk out of anger, you may say that it was a slip of the tongue, you may try to say sorry over and over, you may cry for forgiveness, you may say whatever you want – this is something you fucking shouldn't do, for your own sake. And Sting Eucliffe wasn't going to forgive Gray Fullbuster for insulting his mate. Whether he was a friend of Natsu Dragneel or not.**

 _And a Dragon Slayer's mate was just as protective and jealous – Igneel had told him this. Should Natsu find his mate one day, he wouldn't know if he'd react the same way Sting was certainly about to. He would bring hell and pain on the people who would dare to harm his life mate for sure... but **kill**? With this killing intent his fellow Dragon Slayer was exulting? This would be too much for him, he hadn't been raised like this – Fairy Tail never raised him like this. Igneel didn't either. Fairies never took one's life. They protected, fought together and vanquished all obstacles in their path while raising hell – never strayed. Never. Strayed._

 _And Juvia... Juvia... always protecting what was dear to her and whom she cherished with all her might._

" _Why are you protecting **him** , Juvia?"_

 _Gray Fullbuster was the one who voiced this question, the anger slowly returning. His eyes flashed dangerously at her, unforgiving and still full of this incomprehensible, cold fury that pulsed through every fiber of his being. Because he couldn't understand why she was doing this. Because he couldn't understand why she wasn't by his side. Because he couldn't understand why she wasn't looking at him right now, about to give him an explanation for this damn, fucking scene he had been a witness to. Because –_

 _Because he couldn't understand why she was standing in front of Sting Eucliffe, arms poised as if she wanted to protect him. Because she looked like she was doing the right thing – determined and confident._

 _What the hell was going on? Gray was lost here – just what in God's name was going on?_

" _You..." Her voice sounded broken. Sorrowful._

 _Sting's eyes shifted on her and tremendously lost their murderous look as he listened to her voice; it sounded awful, wrecked by an emotion that made him uneasy and restless. Sadness, he realized as he felt his heart throb painfully in his chest. Her emotions were tormenting her, just as they felt horrendous as they were powerful because the White Dragon Slayer could feel them as well; her sadness was the strongest in her heart, voiced out by her incredulous, yet broken tone. Juvia was more than upset – and Sting had no real words to describe all these feelings overwhelming her at great speed but it spurred his desire to hurt the Ice Mage. He was terribly itching to hurt._

 _Her blue eyes – wide, sorrowful and full of bright tears that caused Lucy to gasp in horror, her own brown eyes tearing up because she could feel the bluenette's intense pain. – still looked determined as they stared hard at Gray Fullbuster. The one who had sounded like a complete stranger, even though he had spoken out of anger. The one who now appeared like a complete stranger, even though he could say that it was out of line._

" _You won't... you won't do **anything**. I w-w-won't let you touch Sting." Painful pants. Painful breaths. Painful tears streaming down her cheeks, enhanced by the rumbling above their heads. Then, one shout out of sorrow, out of fury, out of sadness – out of burning determination. "I WON'T LET YOU HURT ME OR MY MAN!"_

 _Juvia Lockser's scream was accompanied by roaring thunder. A **promise**. This was a **promise**._

And she hadn't been kidding when she had told Gray that she wouldn't let him hurt Sting, because he had done nothing wrong to her – absolutely nothing. She had done what she thought was right in her opinion, protecting the man who had been giving her happiness for more than a month; by becoming his mate, Juvia had truly discovered what it meant to matter to someone who wouldn't play with her heart and let her taste a piece of heaven. Ever since she saw Sting's tears of utter relief at seeing his Exceed alive and well in the cat lady's arms, Juvia had been wondering if she would be able to know a little more about the White Dragon Slayer – thus she had painted him to, in her own words, to immortalize him because he intrigued her so much. She hadn't realized how much her bond with Sting Eucliffe would change so many things in her life as a Fairy Tail mage.

Juvia Lockser may have consciously known that something like this would eventually happen but had she known about the consequences? Her secret relationship with the White Dragon Slayer would have gone public one day, that she had been sure of it once they were comfortable enough to tell the world of their union, but the Water Mage hadn't foreseen the damages it could cause because of the rivalry between their two guilds – Sabertooth had become Fairy Tail's strongest rival and ally (only when the sake of Fiore was at stake.) since the Grand Magic Games after Lucy's cruel and merciless beating, so the tensions were still alive. In fact, she had a glimpse of that hostility from Gray's part – he still wasn't over the fact Sting's former guild fellow member had tortured the Celestial Mage out of 'strategy' and he didn't like her mate, she had realized with a dark frown. Forgiveness wouldn't be given so easily.

That had brought Juvia to wonder why Gray Fullbuster had given her a chance after hurting his own friends back when they still were enemies. Back when the old Juvia Lockser had no qualms to hurt in order to succeed. Back when she would have had no qualms in eliminating him on the spot, had she not started to feel something for him. Really, if he was still holding a grudge toward Sabertooth and couldn't consider its master a friend or her lover, why had Gray Fullbuster given her a chance to become his friend? Didn't Sting Eucliffe, Rogue Cheney and everyone in Sabertooth deserve another chance as well?

Just as she was about to reach the guild doors she heard something – a whisper that suddenly awoke something very primal in her guts.

" _Do you think she's gonna apologize to Gray after what she did to him?"_

Juvia stopped dead in her tracks, which also succeeded in making the whole hall quiet as several stares flew to her frozen form. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for Juvia's reaction as she processed the words in her head. Since nobody could see her face, her expression remained a mystery, but Mirajane and Cana could feel the anger seeping out of their friend like small blast waves; the rumbling outside seemed to increase a little bit just as the blue-haired woman turned around slowly, her long hair following the movement, to look at Jet and Droy. Her glare had always been deemed as scary before but, right now, 'scary' wasn't the right word to use to describe the emotion swirling dangerously into those dark, cerulean eyes. _'Murderous'_ would be more appropriate as they gave both members of Shadow Gear a terrifying, chilling sensation trickling down their spine.

Her voice was just as chilling as calm. " _Well_ , Jet? Droy?" she 'gently' pressed as she also started to approach them in a very slow pace. "You seem to be having an interesting conversation and I couldn't help but overhear some words so... _please_ , do carry on and talk to me."

"N-no, w-we...," Jet and Droy were sweating, trying hard to control the trembling of their limbs. Somewhere near them Gajeel frowned, wincing a little. He knew Juvia wouldn't hurt them voluntarily but still, he didn't let his guard down; Jet and Droy weren't being mean but those two idiots should have known better than playing gossipers over some perturbing event that had scarred his best friend deeply. The Iron Dragon Slayer had never seen such frightening look over her features and that was what struck him hard: Juvia Lockser had never worn such look back when they were both in Phantom Lord.

"Tell me, do you think that Gray Fullbuster truly deserves apologies for my behaviour and actions toward him these past weeks? Do you _sincerely_ _think_ that I should be the one apologizing to him after what he's told me five weeks ago when I was just spending some time with my boyfriend and some friends over fishing?" By the last word Juvia was now in front of the two mages, looming over them like a threatening and dark shadow with murderous eyes. Gajeel's red eyes widened, his jaws tightened and all the nerves in his body suddenly chilled as he sensed her killing intent – it had increased. And even Mirajane couldn't pretend to clean the bar anymore, since her eyes were watching Juvia intently. _Waiting_. "We weren't doing anything wrong, we weren't hurting anyone, we weren't even fighting – _we were just relaxing together, for God's sake_!" she yelled the last sentence, slamming her fists onto the wooden table where Jet and Droy were sitting, making the two friends jump in fright.

"Sweet o' Mavis, but that day had started just fine. It was just between friends trying to catch all the fish we could because they wanted me to cook a feast, how could everything go from heavenly to an incredible, hellish nightmare once the man I used to love suddenly barks some nonsense about me dating a friend I've never dated and 'whoring around with another man'? Had he even thought before telling me those horrible things? Has he even expressed his apologies during those three weeks, Jet? Has he," Juvia almost flung herself at the brown-haired man, her eyes cold and merciless. He flinched, terror written in his sweating face. "Has he respected me at all as a woman when he directly insulted me of being a whore? A _cheating_ whore, no less? By the Gods! Answer me, _Jet_? _Droy_? _All of you_!" She straigthened herself back up, glaring harshly at her audience and uncaring of the raging thunderstorm outside. If anything, it just enticed her fury. " _All of you_ , come here and tell me _where_ I've done wrong to be insulted in the worst way a woman could ever be, _especially when this woman hasn't done anything to be insulted_! You can recognize a whore when you see one, but you can't even recognize a woman when she's finally moved on with her life and decided to give a chance to a man who can introduce her to love and happiness? **Pathetic**!" She had spat the last word with such venom in her voice and such a vile stare that many looked away, having gone pale.

Juvia took deep breaths, her fists tightened on her sides. She knew she wasn't finished because she was really far, far from finished, but she needed to take all this shit out once again since her friends were obviously still hung up about the deadly, bloody beating she had given Gray four weeks ago. But again, Juvia couldn't really blame them; they've known Gray Fullbuster ever since he was a kid while she was still one of the youngest – and still a stranger to most of them. So witnessing Juvia Lockser, formerly deemed and called 'Gray's girl' because she was deeply enamoured with him, beating the shit out of the resident Ice Mage by only using her legs had shocked them all. And all the blood she had drawn from the barrage of kicks she had rained down on him...

" _Destroying a city block, this I can forgive. But attacking a guild member – moreover, your friend? – out of free will and attempting to fatally hurt him? While I completely understand that Gray's words have deeply affected you since he has been misguided for quite a long time, your behaviour over the whole situation cannot be overlooked, Juvia. Hiding your relationship with the Sabertooth guild master Sting Eucliffe from us was both your choice, and we respect that. I respect that, for Fairy Tail and Sabertooth have had issues that may have more or less been solved and trusting has become the hardest thing to do for everyone. Gray was terribly wrong to insult you and even though he was the one who has brought up the tensions between the two guilds, you still acted willingly and wounded him. This is something that I, as a guild master and a father figure to all of you, cannot let go unpunished. Gray will be punished, that is for sure, but you will be as well..."_

She gritted her teeth, violently wrenching her arm out of Lucy's hand and backing off to avoid being comforted by Lisanna. The two girls gulped audibly, their eyes wide and tearing up from Juvia's obvious hurting behind her fury. They both had tried to stay by her side after accepting Master Makarov's punishment – two comforting presence the Water Mage had grown to appreciate and love despite her suffocating urge to be alone and avoid the guild at any cost. But since her emotions sometimes tended to go overboard, Juvia had willingly rejected them and had thoroughly refused to see anyone for a long time. _Nine_ _weeks_ , she thought with an angry snarl as thunder roared in synch with her cold fury, _is a long time to learn about forgiveness and rekindling_.

" _... Master Sting Eucliffe and I have agreed on one decision concerning your punishment, since you are his mate. He tried to show fairness as much as he could considering the situation you've all put us in with the Council – that's what he wanted you to know. And if you want to have a word with him about it, you are free to do so. Know that this wasn't easy for him to agree on this decision, Juvia. This was the very last thing he wanted to happen to you, you have to believe me. He is as pained as you will be and doesn't take it very well. However, it is his duty as a guild master to act as such. You may be his mate but that doesn't mean he will overlook what has happened. But as a consequence of your acts on a fellow comrade of Fairy Tail, your own guild..."_

" _Apologize_ , huh?" Juvia bit her lip so hard that blood was starting to trickle down her chin. But she didn't care. "Sure, this is something I'm so accustomed to do. I did _apologize_ to Lucy for hurting her seven years ago back when I was still part of Phantom Lord, because I've been in the wrong. So did Gajeel-kun. We've grown to forgive ourselves from our past felony issues because of you and for that, I will be forever grateful. But..."

" _... **you, Juvia Lockser, will from now on wear an anti-magic collar for nine weeks. You are forbidden to take it off until it's due. You... you are also hereby forbidden to see guild master Sting Eucliffe for four weeks straight. And thus you won't be able to use your magic and go on missions. Nine weeks straight. This is an order and... this is your punishment**."_

 _I'm deeply sorry, my child. I truly am._

The Water Mage snapped, grabbing the the turtleneck of her shirt and pulling at it harshly to reveal the horrible device that had been tormenting her for the first two weeks. Her eyes were wild and mirroring her emotions – those horrible emotions that had been bubbling up and boiling under that barely controlled facade. Hurt, sorrow and sadness all mixed up in one happy and loving woman's mind who had just wanted to protect her man. "... _HE DOESN'T HAVE TO WEAR THIS ABOMINATION! AFTER ALL, HE WASN'T THE ONE WHO HURT A COMRADE BECAUSE HE_ _JUST_ _WANTED TO PROTECT SOMEONE ELSE, WAS HE?!_ " she bellowed. " _SO FUCK YOU AND YOUR APOLOGIES, BECAUSE HE CERTAINLY DOESN'T DESERVE THEM!_ "

* * *

 _ **O Fortune** ,_

 _variable_

 _as the moon,_

 _always dost thou_

 _wax and wane._

 _Detestable life,_

 _first dost thou mistreat us,_

 _and then,_

 _whimsically,_

 _thou heedest our desires._

* * *

Juvia snarled in disgust, hiding the dreading device under her white turtleneck. "If that is the punishment for protecting the man I lo – _treasure_ so much from a threat, then I shall accept it with my head held high," she said coldly, her voice hoarse from the yelling. "That is Fairy Tail-like. What I did to Gray afterward doesn't even equal something akin to apologizing, I just needed a good release." Her eyes narrowed darkly as she backed away from Jet and Droy, heading for the doors of the guild. "And what do you know? He just happened to be in my way..."

Most of her friends recoiled from the implied comment as if they had been badly burned, recalling the memory that was still fresh in everyone's mind. _He just happened to be in my way._ Those words were as sharp as a knife cutting someone's throat in a swift movement and, coming from Juvia's mouth, it sounded just as merciless and cruel as the brutal, violent barrage of kicks she had rained down on Gray. It had been twisted. To think that Juvia Lockser had been crazy in love with the resident Ice Mage for so long and, to everyone's unpleasant and unexpected surprise, would have the guts to lay a hand with the firm intention to hurt him was the surprise of the century. Who knew that becoming a Dragon Slayer's mate would definitely change her whole life and the perspectives? It changed _everything_ – _Sting Eucliffe_ changed _everything_. While Juvia was still a loving woman and this selfless, kind woman who would give her whole life to her family, she now seemed deeply committed to the Sabertooth guild master and she assumed that fact with her head held high, daring anyone to challenge her devotion and love toward him. _He just happened to be in my way._ Had she not become Sting Eucliffe's mate, she would have never dared to hurt Gray Fullbuster – the man she had loved. Used to love. Would never love again.

"... and I still don't regret clarifying my new feelings toward him," she finished, as cold and calm as she first was before Jet's comment, and then promptly left a quiet Fairy Tail behind her.

 _Juvia knew the meaning of the sentence 'It was as if the world has just stopped' all too well but, somehow, it seemed to have oddly become a haunting, more than terrifying meaning she was now bound to discover as Master Makarov proceeded with the task. Her eyes, having first of all widened in absolute disbelief, then dulled due to the announcement of her punishment for attacking Gray Fullbuster willingly, followed his movements and watched as a hawk. His expression was grim and pained – the tangible proof that he was loathe to proceed with this. The old man really looked like he was about to burst in tears, just like he must have when he had excommunicated his beloved grandson Laxus due to the consequences of the Battle of Fairy Tail. And though Juvia wanted to scream in protest, yell out of outrage and her fury, the words were boldly constricting her throat. Again, they were failing her._

… **Master, this is...**

 _Just some words and maybe, maybe he will drop that horrifying idea. Maybe she wouldn't have to wear this dreadful device specifically created to render all mages powerless and unable to use their magic – what was part of them. Juvia didn't realize she was breathing hard, her knuckles turning white because she was squeezing the chair she sat on with so much force that she couldn't feel the pain. At least there weren't shards in her fingers and palms that would have to be removed, since going to the infirmary while wearing this. But her instincts were telling her – screaming at her – to evade the punishment at all cost, to run out of the room. Juvia had always trusted her instincts. Always. Right now, they weren't lying to her: her magic would be sealed._

… **Don't do this... You can't...**

 _He could. And he will. She saw him nod, an almost imperceptible movement that she would have missed if she hadn't been paying attention to him – since he was now the threat according to her senses and instincts. – and before she knew it, Juvia felt her arms being restrained by two strong, firm hands. Her dark cerulean eyes ever so slowly widened as she lifted her head to stare at the one restraining her. The short blonde locks were easily recognizable. The lightning bolt scar on his right eye as well. But that dull, saddened expression on his shadowed face, however..._

… **Laxus... Not you too...**

… _she didn't recognize it. Laxus. They had just become closer friends. She had figured he must have tried to talk his grandfather out of this, that he would have fought with him about this dreadful decision to seal her magic and forbid her to see Sting for four weeks straight –_ four weeks. _She would have to try hard not to scream her sorrow and wreak everything in her path out of frightening anguish and fury, because that would only add to all the growing despair that was overwhelming her whole being right now. Juvia watched dumbly as Laxus' lips moved but she couldn't hear the words, somehow deaf to the world after listening to her punishment. What he was saying? Was he saying he was sorry? Deeply sorry? For what? For having to restrain her while his grandfather put on the device that would crumple, cripple and reduce her to next to nothing? Oh, the irony._

… **Wait, we can...**

 _It was cold and alien when Master attached it around her neck. A stark contrast with her warmth. But she instantly felt the change within her body; her magic somehow disappeared, blasted away like dust in the wind. Gone with the wind. The familiar, peaceful swirling of her water magic was gone, far away and sealed. Impossible to reach. Couldn't be broken out of the seal by her will – her hardened, steel-like will. As if sensing the sudden and unexpected loss Juvia's body started to convulse uncontrollably and she jerked, a wrecked and broken sob escaping her dry lips. Laxus' arms tightened around her on reflex and the Lightning Mage brought her struggling form against his powerful chest, his teeth gritting together. Anger? Maybe._

 _ **Surely**._

 _Because her pride had just been taken out – her water magic, which she controlled so well, was now out of her reach for nine weeks. Nine weeks during which she would never be Fairy Tail's Juvia Lockser, the loving Water Mage. Nine weeks during which she would cry her sorrow and shout her fury. Nine weeks during which she would start to claw at her own skin to get the dreadful device off._

 _Nine weeks during which the skies won't express her emotions._

* * *

 _They say that when the world stops, time also seems to freeze and remains still until reality comes crashing back into your brain and mind. And when it does, it's more than just painful._

 _Juvia Lockser didn't know how long she had been staring at her hands – those slender, beautiful hands that had once hurt and learned to protect. Maybe it had been minutes, an hour or more. She hadn't counted, she hadn't noticed anything since that familiar, peaceful swirling of her magic had disappeared from within – there was nothing. There seemed to be no trace of her powerful water magic. She blinked, very slowly, then flexed her fingers. She tried to feel, tried to summon._

 **Nothing. No water.**

 _By the Gods. This wasn't a very bad nightmare. This wasn't even an illusion in which she had to escape from. This was reality. And as Master Makarov had said, she would have to deal with it for nine weeks. Juvia exhaled weakly, finding her throat dry and painful. Nine weeks, he said._

 _Nine weeks to spend without being able to use her magic. Four weeks during which Juvia Lockser and Sting Eucliffe were forbidden to see each other due to their involvement in the fight with Gray Fullbuster in Magnolia two days ago. If she counted, that was sixty-three days without magic and twenty-eight days without Sting. If she wanted to be specific, that was six hundred seventy-two hours without Sting and one thousand five hundred and twelve hours without magic. If she wanted to conclude these frightening calculations, it was asking her to give in to madness and never fight it._

Damn. _Nine weeks, four weeks. Sixty-three days without magic, twenty-eight days without Sting, six hundred seventy-two hours without Sting and one thousand five hundred and twelve hours without magic. Nine weeks, four weeks. Sixty-three days without magic, twenty-eight days without Sting, six hundred seventy-two hours without Sting and one thousand five hundred and twelve hours without magic. Nine weeks, four weeks. Sixty-three days without magic, twenty-eight days without Sting, six hundred seventy-two hours without Sting and one thousand five hundred and twelve hours without magic. Nine weeks, four weeks. Sixty-three days without magic, twenty-eight days without Sting, six hundred seventy-two hours without Sting and one thousand five hundred and twelve hours without magic._ Damn. _Nine weeks, four weeks. Sixty-three days without magic, twenty-eight days without Sting, six hundred seventy-two hours without Sting and one thousand five hundred and twelve hours without magic. Nine weeks, four weeks. Sixty-three days without magic, twenty-eight days without Sting, six hundred seventy-two hours without Sting and one thousand five hundred and twelve hours without magic. Nine weeks, four weeks. Sixty-three days without magic, twenty-eight days without Sting, six hundred seventy-two hours without Sting and one thousand five hundred and twelve hours without magic. Nine weeks, four weeks. Sixty-three days without magic, twenty-eight days without Sting, six hundred seventy-two hours without Sting and one thousand five hundred and twelve hours without magic. Nine weeks, four weeks. Sixty-three days without magic, twenty-eight days without Sting, six hundred seventy-two hours without Sting and one thousand five hundred and twelve hours without magic._ Damn. _Nine weeks, four weeks. Sixty-three days without magic, twenty-eight days without Sting, six hundred seventy-two hours without Sting and one thousand five hundred and twelve hours without magic. Nine weeks, four weeks. Sixty-three days without magic, twenty-eight days without Sting, six hundred seventy-two hours without Sting and one thousand five hundred and twelve hours without magic. Nine weeks, four weeks. Sixty-three days without magic, twenty-eight days without Sting, six hundred seventy-two hours without Sting and one thousand five hundred and twelve hours without magic. Nine weeks, four weeks. Sixty-three days without magic, twenty-eight days without Sting, six hundred seventy-two hours without Sting and one thousand five hundred and twelve hours without magic. Nine weeks, four weeks. Sixty-three days without magic, twenty-eight days without Sting, six hundred seventy-two hours without Sting and one thousand five hundred and twelve hours without magic. Nine weeks, four weeks. Sixty-three days without magic, twenty-eight days without Sting, six hundred seventy-two hours without Sting and one thousand five hundred and twelve hours without magic._ **Goddamn it**.

She truly had no other word to describe this. So... so...

A chuckle. A broken, humourless one. Another one escaped her lips, similar to the first one. A third one. A fourth. A fifth. Then...

 _Juvia Lockser screaming. Finally screaming. Reality has finally settled in and had come crashing back into her mind, just as cruel and merciless as the fact that she wouldn't be herself for the next nine weeks. All this because she had wanted to protect someone she loved dearly._

 _All this because she had wanted to protect from a fellow comrade._

 _She didn't see the black blurr near her, she didn't notice the red eyes surveying her with this unspoken, so sincere and deep apology that he would only say to her because she was family. **His first family after Metallicana**. He knew she wouldn't hear him in her state but, as the one who would always have her back no matter what, he needed to say this. Despite her screaming and anguished state._

" **I've always known he would never be good enough for you,** **Juvia** **.** **Always...** "

 _Even though she was still far away, disturbed, Juvia kind of registered the feeling of muscled arms around her lithe frame, embracing her tightly against a powerful chest. It was meant to be comfortable, to comfort her... but that didn't stop her from expressing herself in this sorrowful scream._

* * *

 _It took hours – long hours to accept the harsh, cruel reality of the consequences – but Juvia had finally settled down; she could no longer scream and her voice was failing her, she had her wrists bound together by Gajeel to stop herself from clawing at her neck even more. Bright streaks of red adorned her slender neck, oddly contrasting with her pale skin, which were now covered with bandages and bound to heal in a few days. Of course she would have tried to take the collar off, even if that meant she would eventually rip her skin off in the process – it was a reflex all panicked mages had when they knew what that meant to have their magic forcefully sealed. Juvia hadn't been an exception. She would try that again. Again and again, again and again. She was lying in a bed, eyes closed, in a foetal position, but wasn't asleep. The Water Mage looked peaceful, but she was just fighting the aftereffects of the sedative Porlyusica had injected her after much struggling from Juvia, who was way too feral to be touched by anyone._

 _The Iron Dragon Slayer gazed at her silently, unable to find words – anything. It was yet another failure for him because he hadn't been there to prevent the holy massacre; Gajeel had promised himself to have her back no matter what, she always had his in any situation. Always. He gritted his teeth, silently seething. Once again, he failed to have her back. He hadn't been there to stop her in her attempt to hurt Gray when the Ice Mage had attacked her mate, he hadn't been there to restrain her from hurting him any further and while his desire to shred him for insulting and accusing Juvia of being a whore – never. Never in his life he would have seen the day when someone would accuse Sprinkler of 'whoring around'. His desire to hurt Gray was consuming, like a blazing fire inferno that would never calm down until he was satisfied. Had Juvia remained the old Juvia Lockser from Phantom Lord, she would have ensured that Gray Fullbuster would never see the light of day ever. Again. Not after such insult._

 _How was Sting coping with all this? Gajeel frowned as he looked down. Since he was her mate, the White Dragon Slayer also felt all her emotions and since he had agreed with Master Makarov on Juvia's punishment and the stripper bastard's, he must be a mess right now..._

* * *

[ **A few hours earlier,** **at Sabertooth**...]

" _Sting." Was that his partner's voice? Was that Rogue? It must be. The blonde tried hard to glance at him – just one little glance to see if he could take it. Just to see if he could handle the consequences. Because what was choking him and clutching painfully at his chest were his own guilt for having to punish his mate and Juvia's anguish over the situation. He breathed hard, having fallen to the ground due to the pressure of his lovely beloved, his eyes wide and full of tears. Lector was beside him as well, his face contorted into an expression of worry (only for Sting originally, then later for Juvia because she had grown on him. And he liked her.). "Sting," Rogue's voice sounded once again, somehow far away. "It's gonna be alright."_

 _And how? Just how would anything be alright after what he's done? To her, the only person in the world he shouldn't hurt? Goddamn it, everything was going so smoothly, so well..._

" _She will pull through this and you as well," his best friend assured him in a firm voice. "Fate hasn't brought you a weak woman, you know she is stronger than this. And from this experiencce she will learn something."_

 _Wild, blue eyes looked up at the dark-haired man. "Like... what?" Sting managed to wheeze out, clutching at his chest._

 _Rogue's red eyes were confident as they stared at his blue orbs. Confident and firm. Just like his trust in the Water Mage._

" _To protect her mate without being forced to resort to violence if words can be enough."_

 _The Shadow Dragon Slayer really believed it. Just like that. Juvia Lockser truly looked like the type of woman who could overcome anything that would be thrown at if her willpower was strong enough, she showed him a glimpse of this when he had wanted to test her the last time they had seen her. Strong-willed as she was, Juvia would take the world by storm to live her happiness with Sting, whether Gray Fullbuster or many of Fairy Tail were opposed to it or not._

 _Rogue squeezed his shoulder and nodded at him. Sting nodded back, albeit weakly._

* * *

 _Gajeel perked up and slightly tilted his head toward the closed door of the infirmary, listening. Soon his face grew darker and darker as his teeth grounded together. Hn. So, the troublemaker had returned. And with him the desire, the urge to hurt and strangle something until asphyxia. Juvia's dull eyes, albeit half-closed because of her dazed state, caught his movement and blinked ever so slowly. But her face never changed: both pained and emotionless at the same time (only he could see that because he had long learned to describe her expressions and tell if she was upset or ready to cry her eyes out.). She was curious._

" _...what?" she rasped out._

" _Nothing," her best friend snapped. Panther Lily glanced at him, inquiring and his look sharp. Gajeel either ignored it or pretended not to see it. "Nothing of your concern, Sprinkler." Then he rose from his seat, walking briskly toward the door._

 _Juvia had trouble rising from her lying position on the bed but she did manage to sit up, wincing slightly because of the pounding headache attacking her from every side of her head. When Gajeel wrenched the door open, he snarled without a care in the world at the person who was about to knock and didn't hesitate to growl at the shocked face of Erza "Titania" Scarlet. Had he been in a clearer state of mind, Gajeel Redfox would have never done such thing. Yet, he had a very good reason to._

" _ **What**?" he growled-barked out. _

_If the guild had already been quiet for hours following Juvia's unsettling breakdown over the consequences of her punishment, then it had reached a new level of silence. It was the kind of dumbfounded silence you would never want to hear because most of the time, it promised so much pain and a beating so you would remember your manners very well around the most respected people. He caught sight of Levy not far from Bunny Girl, noted her worried and scared face, and should have calmed down a bit – he should have. But not this time. Not when his best friend was in this near-vegetable state due to her breakdown._

 _Right now, Gajeel didn't give a shit about manners: he was beyond pissed and if Erza did mind that he was being disrespectful and rude, then_ **so what** _?_

" _Gajeel, we've heard from the others that Juvia is –" Erza started but she cut herself off, biting her inferior lip in a deeply conflicted expression and the Iron Dragon Slayer could tell that she was seriously afflicted by whatever had happened to Juvia, since she didn't know what sort of punishment she had. Nevertheless, her mentioning his best friend's name in such a way made him snarl once again and it took him all his might not to fling himself at the red-haired woman on the spot. "Is she alright?"_

 _He narrowed his red eyes at her, his look darkening even more. "Oh that's right, Team Natsu wasn't here to hear her screams of anguish like the others," he growled in a snarky way, making the knight perk up. He ignored her inquiring gaze as he addressed everyone else. "So how was it, shitheads? Enjoyed it? Why are you still here anyway? Don't you all have anything else to do?"_

" _Gajeel..." Levy._

 _But he thought he should ignore it. Or so he thought. He couldn't, so he turned toward her, making her flinch because of the haunted, enraged look in his eyes. "What, Levy? **WHAT**? What do you wanna say, that you care? Do you think I don't know that?" He snorted, the anger not even decreasing one inch. "But that won't solve the situation here: what matters here is Stripper fucking Fullbuster and his goddamn part in Juvia's punishment. Since she wasn't ready to tell everyone about her relationship with Sting, they had both kept it a secret because they knew it would cause this kind of reaction from those who still haven't forgotten or forgiven Sabertooth or that black-haired bitch for hurting Bunny Girl over here. She knew you wouldn't have approved, so she didn't say anything. But **of course** , there were some who thought that she was going out with the lightning dude – what a total load of bullshit!" he spat mercilessly as his blazing gaze fell on Cana, Lucy, Erza and Mirajane, who all looked away in shame and guilt._

 _Laxus, who hadn't moved away from the infirmary door since he had to restrain the Water Mage when his grandfather moved to attach the dreadful anti-magic collar around her neck, groaned in annoyance as his glare intensified and he scowled harshly. Now he understood why Gray had lashed out on him several days ago – that was because of these four she-devils who couldn't have minded their damn own business instead of playing spy on one of their friends! While he secretly admitted that he wouldn't have minded a relationship with Juvia – he wasn't going to lie, he did think about bedding the lovely blue-haired naiad –, the fact that Cana, Lucy, Erza and Mirajane had first thought that he was secretly screwing Juvia enraged him._

 _Gajeel was about to close the door to the infirmary when small, soft hands rested on his shoulder and he looked back to see cerulean hair, dull blue eyes that had lost their spark and her ashen face. Behind her, Panther Lily stood in his hybrid form, his eyes never leaving the weakened Water Mage._

" _Sprinkler –"_

" _Home," was her answer in a whisper as she cut him off. "I want... home..."_

 **Where she wouldn't be subject to all the stares. Where she would be trying to let all this sink in.**

 _The Iron Dragon Slayer felt his wrath deflate despite him and he sighed, knowing he couldn't refuse that. "Fine, let's get you home, Sprinkler," he relented, snaking an arm around her waist to help her stand and walk._

 _Erza was the first to recover and her brown snapped back up to look at the blue-haired woman, worried once again. "Juvia, are you –" she cut herself off once more and this time, she could be found baffled and horrified at the device around her neck. And of course, she knew what it meant and the consequences of having this god-forsaken thing around the neck._

 _The red-haired knight was speechless, just like all the others who could now see and understand the cause of her screams earlier; many gasped in horror, some tried hard to look away from the offending sight but couldn't bring themselves to, others had tears welling up and some girls even tried to reach out – mainly Lucy, Cana and Mirajane. Even Lisanna, Bisca and Wendy ran up to the Water Mage – but one look and a growl from Gajeel was enough to stop them dead on their tracks. Juvia either ignored them or simply didn't notice that she was the center of attention, she just held on the wild, black-haired man to steady herself as they started to make their way through the guild toward the doors._

 _Unfortunately, it would seem that even leaving would be a problem; the last obstacle between them and the doors happened to be a certain Ice Mage, whose dark, wide eyes held a disbelieving look as they stared at the seemingly broken Juvia Lockser, who slowly lifted her head to gaze up at him. Gray visibly stiffened when he noted the dull, lifeless look in her eyes – those same eyes that had looked at Sting Eucliffe with so much passion and love. They now looked so... empty._

 _Anger seemed to fill Gajeel's body once again like a boomerang coming back in full force at the sight of the Ice Mage. "You. Move away before I snap your spine," he snarled, a dangerous growl rumbling in his chest. "And I won't even care if it will cost me to lose my magic, as long as you steer clear from Juvia's sight. At least I'll have you as my release since I didn't get to give you the beating you deserve for this fucked up situation."_

 _Everybody seemed to tense around them, all eyes glued to the trio at the doors. Gray gulped down whatever words he had intended to speak and focused hard on Juvia, whose gaze sent him a dead look; she seemed so far in her mind, obviously trying to forget about the weight of her punishment. He also choked on his saliva when he noticed the bloodied bandages around her neck, just above her anti-magic collar and Gray immediately understood that she had tried to claw it off in her panic, scratching her skin in the process. A very bitter, painful sensation clutched at his guts as he tried to choke down the bile that had gathered in his mouth._

 _Gray Fullbuster had never thought that guilt could be this painful to someone. He had thought that since he'd been responsible for Ur's demise at the hands of Deliora, he would never experience such feeling once again. When he had fought Sting Eucliffe the other day after seeing that cocky, unnerving White Dragon Slayer of Sabertooth, he had let his resentment, his anger and his possessiveness take over his reason – just like Juvia had suspected, he hadn't forgiven the tigers for torturing Lucy and Gray honestly felt like he wouldn't (just because the blonde Dragon Slayer was Natsu's number one fan-boy didn't mean that this guild would instantly rise from being trash to being a respectable one like Fairy Tail. No.), so seeing the blue-haired woman embraced in Sting's arms, looking at him with such burning eyes full of heated passion and him looking at her with his own eyes mirroring her emotions had made him snap. Gray hadn't even thought about asking Juvia if she was indeed going out with Laxus – he had directly insulted her in the most hurtful way possible, thus triggering Sting's wrath. And hers. Which had led them into that crapsack._

 _He gulped down once again, taking a step forward. "Juvia –"_

" _Shut. The hell. Up!" Gajeel grounded, a vein protruding on his temple out of anger. "Don't even think about it!"_

" _Gray, I-I think y-you should back off," Lucy stuttered, feeling worried for her blue-haired friend. Not only she hadn't demanded to see him for explaining why she hadn't told him right away, but she was still out of it. Lucy could see that: those dead eyes of hers were frightening._

 _Juvia Lockser was forced to have her magic sealed – that was hurtful enough. But she was also forbidden to see the man she loved and vice versa and though Lucy didn't really know Sting Eucliffe that much, he must also be in pain not to be able to be by Juvia's side right now; after getting explanations from Natsu, who had revealed that Juvia was Sting's mate and that all Dragon Slayers had one mate for life and constructed an unbreakable bond, the Stellar Mage couldn't help but feel sympathy and sadness for him. The Sabertooth guild master must have it hard by now. But Juvia right here was the problem; Gray trying to talk to her might end up in another shitstorm. One wrong choice of words, and she might snap. Violently._

 _Juvia's voice, just as lifeless as her eyes, quieted everyone. "It's... alright."_

 _Red eyes snapped at her, disbelieving. "What?" Gajeel asked, at a loss._

 _But she remained emotionless, repeating her words. "It's alright, Gajeel... really..." Her dark, cerulean eyes never left Gray's. Her tone sounded so far away._

 _Did that mean that she was willing to forgive his harsh words? The Ice Mage was strangely suspicious about it but even he couldn't prevent that thought from giving him small hope – small, but definitely there. Gray didn't dare trying to reach out to take her hands in his, for he was sure Juvia would just recoil as if his contact would burn her more than his earlier words. However he, like everyone else, was left speechless when Juvia extended her shackled hands toward him._

 _Did she...? Did she really...?_

 _In Juvia's head, Master Makarov's words echoed once again:_

" ** _Whatever the reason, whatever excuse you have, y_ _ou_ _just_ _can't and don't hurt a friend. Intentionally._ _He may have deeply hurt you with words that you certainly don't deserve, but he still remains your family. Find the strength within to forgive him. A family cannot function properly when there is unrest and negative intent between members._ _"_**

 _N_ _o matter what, Juvia could forgive. She truly could do it. It would take her a lot of willpower and_ _energy but, in due time, maybe they could reconcile. Maybe. Eventually. That was what Master wanted, anyway. A family who worked out just fine, without any kind of rift or hatred toward one another. He wasn't looking for an idealistic family,_ _no – but a family who wouldn't give up on one another and would keep loving every member. That Juvia can do. Yes, she could do that. So she was relieved when Gray grabbed her hands._

 _Really, really,_ **relieved** _._

 _Because he, like everyone else (except Gajeel, maybe. Juvia didn't really dwell on that.), certainly didn't expect the Water Mage to pull him down until he was on his knees before her. And they certainly didn't expect her to kick Gray so hard in the left side of his face that the sound dragged in the hall, reverberating in the shocked silence. In fact, nobody had seen her strike – that had been too fast. Way. Too. Fast. Gray's face followed the brutal movement and his body, though he was heavier than Juvia was, also flew to meet the floor_ _in a crash._

" _Juvia! What on Earth –" someone shouted, stunned._

" _Gray, you alright?" she heard a girl wail – was it Lucy? Ah, of course. The caring, sweet blonde. Juvia will deal with her sneaky friend later._ In due time _._

 _Juvia's eyes still looked emotionless, like her expression, but what made her move and spring to life was this unknown urge boiling under that dazed state of hers; the screaming was one thing – it hadn't helped. Not really._ _And when she had found out that her tears hadn't brought up the rain like it should have, that had been the last proof to make her realize that her magic was locked. Sealed._ Huh _. She moved toward Gray with fluidity and swiftness –_ _something that brought the Iron Dragon Slayer to gawk, since she hadn't looked strong enough to walk on her own earlier –_ _, who was slowly picking himself up with a painful grunt, ignored the shouts of protests from everyone else and slammed her foot on his head to prevent him from rising. His surprised and painful grunt echoed in her mind and for once, which truly both stunned and pleased her at the same time, Juvia found herself feeling thrilled at the idea of bringing pain to the man she had once loved with all her heart. After all, if her painful screaming hadn't helped her..._

" _You know, Gray," Juvia's voice was clear this time, so that everybody could hear what she was saying as she looked down on him. The position on itself was impressive: it showed who was dominating the other and, surprisingly enough, the one who looked like a lifeless woman who had been robbed of a part of her_ _was the dominant – her foot firmly in place on Gray's head to prevent him from rising on his legs, the blue-haired mage didn't look like a defeated woman anymore, but more like someone who was about to bring intense, severe pain as she stared down at the Ice Mage with an unfamiliar glint in her dark, cerulean eyes. "Gajeel had always wondered what was so fantastic and amazing about you when I kept talking about how much I loved you, and I would always answer that you were the first one to show me the light – a bright light I've never been able to see before because I was always surrounded by a world of darkness. Now that Fate has brought me Sting in my life after the Grand Magic Games, clarity has befallen me. And you..." She slightly narrowed her eyes, putting more pressure in her foot on his head a little more, which made Gray groan. "... how about some_ _of my_ _clarity for you?"_

… _then Juvia Lockser might as well make some use of her_ _powerful_ _footwork she was working hard on_ _._ Period _._

 _The hall was silent as she decked him hard with the same foot, aiming where it would hurt the most, except for Gray's grunts and (occasionally) screams of pain and Juvia's barrage of kicks. She was deeply focused on him, on her prey at her feet, and she didn't care about their audience. But she still could feel the stares. Those horrified, stunned stares. Oh yes, she could. And she didn't give a shit about them, for the sound of his broken bones was much more satisfying – somehow. Juvia didn't know why, but it must be because Gray had managed to hurt her mate despite her trying to shield him from the attacks made of ice. Because she had felt that it was right to protect the man she loved from someone who had had intentions of hurting him. Could someone blame her for protecting Sting Eucliffe from someone who shouldn't have reacted the way he had – a.k.a the very man she had loved with all her might but had constantly brushed her off?_

 _It almost seemed like an eternity has passed when someone finally shook herself or himself out of the horrified stupor and shouted. "Juvia! Hey Juvia, stop it! STOP!"_

 _The blue-haired woman, who had Gray's bloodied face held by her right foot so that everyone could see how beaten he looked (Lucy and Levy gasped in horror at the sight, their hands flying to their mouth to muffle the screams.), turned her head toward the person who had just interrupted her. Erza. "What is it?" she inquired, her tone expressionless. "I'm in the middle of teaching Gray what it means to respect a woman when she's innocent in a web of rumors."_

 _The red-haired knight ignored the last jab as she stared at Juvia dead in the eyes. She had_ _a sword drawn in her left hand, which she squeezed so tightly that her knuckles must have turned white under her gauntlets. Her gaze was both threatening and solemn, which was a sight to behold on Erza "Titania" Scarlet. "More kicks, and you might kill him," was all she said._

 **And you're certainly not a murderer. Isn't that right, Juvia?** _She also seemed to mentally imply._

 _Somehow, Juvia got the hint. She even seemed to understand what Erza had silently said in her head. Blinking slowly she looked down on Gray; the Ice Mage was still breathing, but barely conscious. His strength had failed him when he could have stopped Juvia in her tracks but the barrage of kicks she has just rained down on him_ _had him drained, powerless. Weakened. Overpowered. Juvia doubted he could make out something with his_ _blurred vision._ _Blood drops fell on the wooden floor, staining it._

 _The Water Mage let him drop on the floor and, almost immediately after she started to walk past the doors of the guild, everybody_ _rushed to Gray's side, Wendy being the first upon him._

" _I'll assume my punishment with my head held high." Her voice got to those who were listening and also those who were tending to the Ice Mage. "I'll bear the consequences of hurting someone from my own family out of free will, but all of you should remember that I only did it because I was protecting someone I love." The word came out so easily, so fluidly. Because she meant it. "I may have been wrong to do so, but don't you all forget that Gray had been the first to hurt Sting. I just retaliated in order to protect._ _If you want to me to apologize, then you'll have to wait for Gray's first. I'm... done. All I've done is protecting Sting and Lector from him, that's what a mate is bound to do._ _"_

 _The last words would be imprinted on Erza's mind for a long time._

" _And... isn't that what Fairy Tail does? When one of their own is hurt by someone?_ _Don't we protect?_ _"_

 **And everyone else should remember those words, because they were what made Fairy Tail.**

* * *

Juvia exhaled as she stared at her drawings in her workshop, feeling rather tired. Usually, just looking at all of them managed to calm her nerves so she would be in a more peaceful state of mind for the rest of the day but, today, she couldn't bring herself to remain calm; she could drink more tea and hot chocolate all night but that would do little. The blue-haired Water Mage rubbed her eyes, gazing at her maps then at one particular drawing of Sting and Lector. The blonde was smiling cheerfully, taunting his Exceed with a grilled fish she had cooked one time when they were in Crocus – hidden somewhere from prying eyes and a certain reporter. Her heart constricted and she bit her lip. _T_ _wo weeks and a half_ _already_. And she missed them so much, especially because she hadn't been able to cook last time; she still remembered Lector's and Frosch's disappointed gaze when her mate had declared that Juvia wouldn't cook their fish after what had transpired between him, the Water Mage and Gray Fullbuster – the fight had spoiled the friendly atmosphere and as much as he just wanted to get Juvia and get the hell out of Magnolia with her, the White Dragon Slayer of Sabertooth had acted like any guild member should have, which had led to this bloody situation.

 _Master is right about one thing_ , Juvia grudgingly thought as she scowled, nuzzling her pillow. _He couldn't overlook this, that would have been favoritism_. At the very least, Gray Fullbuster had his magic severely limited due to his actions: though his own punishment didn't seem as cruel as hers, she still felt content. The Ice Mage couldn't go on dangerous quests on his own, thus having to ask his teammates to go with him – his injuries from Juvia's barrage of kicks had done quite a number on him but since he was way too stubborn to be off the hook for some time and heal, he was always annoying the hell out of the Fire Dragon Slayer or Lucy for a job request (Erza, he preferred to avoid asking. The red-haired knight was still _way_ too angry with him and he didn't want to be mauled.).

She blinked as she made her way back into her kitchen to make herself another hot chocolate, dragging the pillow behind her. Juvia nuzzled herself in her white, woolen sweater as she put the milk into the micro-wave and turned the device on to heat up her beverage. Once it was hot enough she got it, poured some honey and chocolate powder, then grabbed a spoon to stir everything in her mug before making her way toward her cobalt blue couch. She sat up with a sigh, tucking her long legs under her, and took a sip of her treat. _Two weeks_ _and a half_. Without Sting or Lector by her side. Without seeing them. _Huh_. And Juvia still had to wait for one week and a half to set out to Sabertooth – although she still could defend herself pretty well in hand-to-hand because she used her legs and foot more than her hands, magic was just too essential. The likelihood of her being attacked by mages wasn't very high on the road but she truly needed to be cautious. Maybe she could get Gajeel and Panther Lily with her – the former would have insisted and gone with her anyway, even if she didn't ask. The Iron Dragon Slayer had a knack to know what she wanted and needed, especially in her current situation.

Slender fingers brushed her neck and felt the coldness of the metallic device, a reminder of the weakened state she was put in. They slowly traced the scratches on the creamy white skin – the more recent ones, that is. She had created them last night out of fear while sleeping, which had finally woken her up to being stopped by a worried Erza –, caressed the red streaks with care. Her eyes darkened considerably. The urge to try and claw at the anti-magic collar was still there, haunting and strong, because her body knew it wasn't used to having her magic sealed for so long. Nine weeks would be a horribly long time to get used being someone... _normal_. Without magic. She shuddered as she took another sip of her hot chocolate. It wasn't that she held a special grudge toward people who didn't use magic but having been exposed to it ever since she was a little kid made Juvia think that she was special; she had learned to control her water magic to this level so she could be someone powerful enough to stand out between a throng of people and protect herself. She had mostly been all alone due to her being orphaned after something tragic happened to her uncle – her parents... Juvia had very vague memories about them but the more she tried to remember, the more they seemed to escape.

 _To protect first, then to defend_. And she had done that. It may have been the man she loved but still: she had _protected_ and _defended_.

"Family comes first, huh?" Juvia muttered to herself, glancing at the visible guild stamp on her bare, left leg.

Family first, lovers came second. Always. Hm.

 _If that means getting hurt and being thrown into such crappy situation... then no. Not_ always _._

* * *

 **Author's Note 1:** … Hum... have I been too harsh in this chapter? BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I HAVE! Between Juvia's punishment for attacking Gray to protect Sting and all these emotions, I feel like a criminal. But anyway: hoped you've had a great Christmas and a damn New Year night, because if I'm gonna start the Tartaros Arc soon enough. =D

 **Author's Note 2:** See Juvia's legs? They're _gorgeous_! Let's put them to work – like a certain master chef in another manga I happened to love. Gihi!

 **Next Chapter:** _Ira Invicto_.


	7. Ira Invicto

**Summary:** _"_ _Who makes you moan? Who makes you scream in pleasure and joy? I. Fucking. Do._ _What's mine is mine and sharing isn't an option_ _I'd even_ _have the idiocy to consider."_

 _After the Grand Magic Games, Juvia_ _Lockser_ _took time to reflect on her life – including Gray Fullbuster. Something she wouldn't have done on her own since she was always caught up in her fantasy._ _It hurt like a bitch to realize that a one-sided love would never be returned, it truly did. And moving on was even harder to do. But still, Juvia swore to do so._ _Somehow, there's a way for everything._

 **Genre:** _Drama/Friendship._

 **Disclaimer:** To say that Fairy Tail belongs to me is pure fantasy. Hiro Mashima remains the creator and has all the rights.

 **/!\ Warning: This fan-fiction has tons of smut and I won't tell when and where you'll read them in those chapters. I'm unpredictable, huh! Minors have been warned and if you're caught off guard...remember that this fan-fiction is rated M. Read the summary carefully before launching yourself on this story.**

[ **…** ]

… In which Sting Eucliffe busies himself with missions and missions to deflate his anger and growing frustration over the situation he's been thrown in. He also decides to track down his mate, since she (temporarily) left the guild, after overhearing some fan-girls talking about it.

… In which Juvia Lockser wonders about her situation and what she would do if she were to quit Fairy Tail. A master and his butler-friend who live like hermits in snowy mountains (but also enjoy Spa Town Hosenka for obvious reasons!) become the sort of persons she needs in her moments of indecisiveness, loss and fury.

… In which Gray Fullbuster reflects on his behaviour during the first three weeks of punishment he had inadvertently brought upon Juvia Lockser (and Sting Eucliffe) after Natsu Dragneel's persistent outbursts at the master and Mavis Vermillion's pep talks.

… And in which the butler-friend finds a Dragon Slayer supported by his red kitty.

[ **I've been listening to** _Monsters_ by  Eddie Gomez **while writing this chapter**. _Hah_! ]

* * *

 **Chapter Seven:** _Ira Invicto_

* * *

[ **The first part of the punishment, third week** , " _Day_ _Three_ ".]

"White Dragon's Roar!"

The thug didn't even have time to dodge the attack as the powerful beam mercilessly blasted him through a wall, the sound a little bit defeaning and the painful scream of the defeated thug not satisfying enough. Not satisfying enough to make Sting Eucliffe smirk in cockiness, not satisfying enough to make him want to gloat – not satisfying enough to deflate his anger and frustration over the situation he had put himself into.

His keen ears picked up the sound of someone running behind at full speed, but Sting was faster: he nimbly dodged a blade that would have slashed his back, crouched below and rounded his leg to trip the unfortunate guy, who fell hard on his back with a painful grunt and lost his sword. It clattered away, near broken furniture and rubble. The blonde was silent as he swiftly rose to violently slam his fist into the thug's stomach, knocking the breath out of him. The force of his punch was so powerful that he actually created a small crater under him. He probably cracked some ribs as well. _Huh, he had it coming._

His foot abruptly came to rest on the chest of his prey, causing him to gasp in pain. Bright, furious blue orbs flashed dangerously as the White Dragon Slayer and master of Sabertooth leant on his leg to stare down at the thief, his face contorted in barely controlled fury.

"Look at me, you third rate thief," Sting grounded out with such ferocity that said thief did so obediently, looking up to gaze at the Dragon Slayer. He violently flinched and struggled not to yelp in fear upon seeing the irate, thunderous expression in those blue eyes. "You've chosen the right timing to do your petty business in town and since I needed some release for the crap-sack I've put myself into, let's say I'm quite _happy_ to have found you all." Sting emphasized his sarcastic words by sending his trembling, future victim a dark, predatory smirk. "So don't you start pissing your pants on me, I don't want to smell the stench of your fear."

 _And so on, and so on, and son_. Lector had a worried expression on his face as he watched his partner haul the thief over his shoulder in a not so gentle way to hand him to the authorities. Sting and Rogue were praised for their work by the overexcited reporter, Jason from Sorcerer's Weekly, who immediately rounded them with questions and _'Coooool!'_ in his fashion way. When Lector saw the blonde's disinterested, faraway and still angry expression, he knew that he was about to explode from the frustration that had been boiling inside for days. _Crap, this isn't good._ And since Jason wasn't really good at paying attention to the people he interviewed, he brilliantly missed Sting's bulging vein at his right temple. Lector certainly didn't. He winced as he flew to his side, praying that his friend would just try to ignore the fancy reporter instead of biting at his bones so he could shut up.

Just as Sting was about to snarl at Jason, Lector jumped on his shoulder, effectively startling the White Dragon Slayer. The red Exceed grinned widely, rising his paw in the air. "As expected from Sting, he totally handled those puny guys practically all by himself. They were small fry, he could have done this job alone!"

Rogue, who had also noticed his partner's rising and boiling ire, narrowed his eyes at the jab. "Shut it, cat. You've almost succeeded in making me laugh this time."

The blonde remained silent, just looking at his friends in wonder. His Exceed has just prevented him from blowing out at the unfortunate reporter and, by doing this, may have saved the city from another series of damages because of Sting Eucliffe didn't have his temper in check. He'd have to thank Lector for that; it had been two weeks now that he had last seen Juvia and the more time he was spending away from her, the more irritated and angrier he became. And to be honest, this situation couldn't be worse. It was painful not to be by her side right now, not to be able to hold her body against his because he knew that under the front she must be pulling up, she was just as angry and crushed as he was. He could feel it; her emotions were all jumbled in her heart, from confusion to astonishment, from irritation to fury – from sadness to pain. And it clutched mercilessly at his heart and guts because his own emotions perfectly mirrored hers.

 _Probably because I had to agree with this fucking punishment_ , Sting bitterly thought as he swiftly made his way out of the bank, Lector on his shoulder. He ignored reporters and fan-girls, pushed through the throng of people blocking the way without snarling angrily at them – he felt the burning urge to shake them off violently, to roughly shrug off their eager fingers because they couldn't touch him anymore, this was reserved for one woman only. The fact that they couldn't see he wasn't in a good mood only added fuel to the raging fire of his wrath he was trying so hard to keep from exploding. So he just grounded his teeth as he forced himself to listen to Lector, fingers curled into tight fists into his pockets so that they wouldn't wring any neck.

"... don't cause a scene... it's gonna be alright..."

Sting grounded his teeth together, inwardly cursing. Was it really gonna be alright? Just like that? No, he wasn't stupid: Juvia was equally angry and probably trying to blow off some steam at this moment, somewhere between resentment toward both her guild and himself for condemning her to go through nine long weeks without magic – nine long weeks during which she would certainly claw at her neck to take the atrocity off, uncaring if she was hurting herself in the process. Oh, Sting felt so guilty about that bullshit. And so _empty_.

He heaved a shaky breath. No Dragon Slayer should be separated from his mate in any way – they should always remain side by side, hence why Sting had asked Juvia if she would consider coming to Sabertooth one day. He'd be overjoyed and all over the moon if she said 'yes', because he knew he'd be able to give her the happiness she really deserved. When an era comes to an end, it is always better to move forward, so Juvia would more than likely come to him should her guild decide to disband. He really hoped so: his guild could become another family to her, since he was its master and intended to change it from the core.

" _You'll do a wonderful, kind guild master, Sting Eucliffe. I'm sure of it."_

Sting was always pained when he had to leave her side and return to Sabertooth alone, without his mate. And when she wasn't with him he'd always be plagued by thoughts of her, alluring dreams where he and Juvia were engulfed in fiery, passionate embraces that would render him aroused most of the time (he'd once been caught by Rufus whispering Juvia's name all over again while jerking off in his office late at night. What in the hell Rufus was doing there at this hour, he didn't know, but he'd been quite annoyed at the masked man's teasing.). The punishment he and Juvia were forced to go through was something that could set a Dragon Slayer and his mate quick to get angry; while he may find ways to deflate his wrath for a few hours or so, it would always come back rushing through his veins, brewing and raging underneath his cool demeanor. Snapping at his friends had also become a recurrent habit – something that truly scared Lector and Rogue when this kind of thing happened at the guild hall.

How he longed to have her in his arms right now, to taste her kisses and her skin...

"Hey, did you hear about the Water Mage from Fairy Tail?" some fan-girl whispered when Sting was just walking past them. That made the young guild master stop all at once, his ears blocking out all the other sounds to listen to whatever the two citizens had to say about his mate.

"What? What's happening with Fairy Tail now?" another fan-girl asked in hushed whispers.

"Some people in Magnolia overheard some members saying that she left the guild three days ago and although Cana Alberona and Mirajane Strauss assured that she just needed 'some time to cool off', that seems a bit suspicious." The first fan-girl snorted softly. "You know, something sounded rather fishy about the way Cana said that."

Surprise – very unpleasant surprise quickly overcame the blonde's body and he tensed, not hearing Lector's soft gasp. Sting's blue eyes widened slowly in quiet disbelief when the last words about Juvia echoed in his mind. _"She left the guild three days ago and although Cana Alberona and Mirajane Strauss assured that she just needed 'some time to cool off, that seems a bit suspicious."_. His mate left Magnolia _and_ the guild altogether? Why? She didn't have her magic to defend herself due to this dreadful anti-magic collar tied to her neck and while he was sure she surely was good in hand-to-hand combat, Sting couldn't help but quickly think about storming to Juvia's position, wherever she might be right now; she was practically powerless without her magic and as her mate, the blonde Dragon Slayer wanted nothing more than remain by her side. But where the hell could she have gone?

"What do you mean?" the second fan-girl inquired.

"Well according to some people who had seen her, instead of being sad to be leaving her 'Gray-sama' behind, she looked rather solemn. As if she had known that a certain event would have happened to her sooner or later. And she hasn't returned since." Sting froze, his eyes now wide. "My cousin tried to get answers from Gajeel but he... he's so scary she couldn't even finish her question because of the look he had thrown her! But that's that: Juvia Lockser left Fairy Tail on her own to go somewhere."

"Ehhhhh? Do you think it was a job request?"

A skeptical hum could be heard. "All alone? I don't think so... plus, Gajeel came back this morning at the guild without her and looked even more irritated – not sorrowful, just irritated. So that means she's not dead and..."

The White Dragon Slayer had stopped listening and was running back to Sabertooth, ignoring the cries of his partner behind him. He couldn't believe it, he actually _couldn't_ believe it. He had expected a reaction from Juvia sooner or later – the Iron Dragon Slayer had filled him in via communication lacrima, following his mate's vicious and violent beating on Gray Fullbuster. Gajeel had described him how miserable and angry Juvia was without him, merciless and always snapping at her friends whenever she dropped by at the guild. His absence, the weight of her punishment and the fact that everyone else was trying to make amends with her had driven his powerless Water Mage to snap most of the time. – but hadn't expected her to literally leave Fairy Tail. Even if it were just temporarily, her making that decision left Sting astounded. But again, he totally understood that she wanted to get away from the guild for a while.

" _Even if I don't give a flying crap about everyone else's apologies to Sprinkler, there's still the fact that nobody has digested the sight of her kicking the living daylights out of icicle. Yeah, she did that!" he snickered at Sting's surprised face. "And that was very satisfying, the bastard had it coming anyway. But seriously," Gajeel continued as he sobered up, returning to his serious, somber self. "Ever since the old man tied this atrocity around her neck, Sprinkler hasn't been herself lately; she'd snap and yell at anyone who would try her to talk – hell, I'm ready to bet she had nearly ripped Bunny Girl's head off for assuming that she was being screwed by Laxus."_

 **Huh? What?** _Sting Eucliffe was amazed that he hadn't blown off the lacrima and the room altogether when he heard the last comment – Bunny Girl? Lucy Hearfilia? Again? And Laxus Dreyar? The Lightning Mage who wiped out Raven Tail all by himself? With his mate? So this was all this commotion was about? To find out who Juvia was going out with? Damn those nosey friends of hers, they had implanted this fucking stupid idea into Fullbuster's head. They had started this whole bloody mess in the first place! His right eye twitched dangerously at this thought as he tried to not shout his outrage. He snarled visibly, feeling a blood vessel throbbing on his temple._

" _Hey, hey, who the hell do you think you're growling at? Calm down, will ya?" Gajeel grounded out, narrowing his red eyes at Sting. Then he grunted. "You miss her, White Dragon. And she misses you as well. Mates shouldn't be separated this way, it makes them... savage."_

 _Apparently, Gajeel Redfox spoke the right word to describe Sting Eucliffe's mood and reaction – for it was how Juvia had been feeling these last days._

"No _..._ Fucking _..._ **SHIT** _!" The last word was roared and dragged loudly, echoing around the walls of his office. In fact, it even reverberated around the whole guild, startling the guild members._

 _Sting might not have noticed it, but the guild building had shaken along with his roar with so much force that the window panes around him had trembled. Everyone must have heard him and must be wondering what was wrong with their master that he was yelling at the top of his voice. But he didn't care. He absolutely. Didn't. Care. Right now, he felt like exploding was the best thing that could help him release the anger and frustration that had been building up in the pit of his stomach, starting from a small flame to a blazing, raging fire the White Dragon Slayer was all but willing to let out. All restrains be damned._

 _The blonde abruptly put his face on the lacrima, his eyes wide and sporting an irate, murderous expression. Really, the vein bulging on his temple was threatening. "Savage?! **Savage**?! Do you think I'm fucking daft, Gajeel?! I've been savage the second I knew I'd be separated from Juvia for the longest time we've ever had to be and yet I still haven't killed anyone! Hell, it's a wonder the guild is still standing with all the furniture I've destroyed and broken out of rage! And just shut the hell up for the moment being, Gajeel!" Sting ranted, yelling once again._

 _At this point, Sting Eucliffe wouldn't be able to control his ire. And it showed by the way his body seemed to have a mind on its own; his fingers, having grabbed the newly acquired piece of furniture quite tightly, crushed the poor object into pieces. But his hands were quick to catch the lacrima before it fell down and broke on the floor. He snarled once again at the mildly shocked face of the Iron Dragon Slayer, whose eyes held a very surprised look. Sting rarely lost his cool but now that he was mated – with his best friend, by the way –, it was completely normal that he should be this feral and agitated; he was dying to be reunited with Juvia right now and the fact that he was bound to observe the deadline was driving him crazy._

 _His blue eyes flashed dangerously. Once again. "That blonde cheerleader is part of that charade, isn't she? There's no freaking way she'll get away with this without expecting a payback from me: I've been pretty lenient until now but her curiosity over my relationship with Juvia was the last_ freaking _straw! How fucking curious could she be? She even dared to interrupt us during our mating and thinks she can make amends by apologizing?She's lucky Natsu-san will be there to protect her, because I'm not sure I'll be able to hold back if I see her!"_

"Sting, where are you going?" Lector cried in alarm as he followed his friend, flying behind him. "Why are you running so fast?"

There were only two words to that question. And the blonde knew it should be enough for his Exceed and friends to get it. "Juvia. Gone," was all Sting said through clenched teeth as he kept running. Sabertooth wasn't that far from this town, so he could make it in a couple of minutes if he kept rushing like this.

Juvia was gone. Off somewhere he didn't know. The very idea of knowing that Gajeel had left her on his own somewhere she couldn't even use her powers to defend herself (should she encounter some problems wherever the hell she was) left him appalled. Had Gajeel lost his mind? Why would he leave his mate all alone when he bloody knew that she wasn't in condition to be on her own? Sting swallowed the lump in his throat with much difficulty, having a hard time pushing back the guilt and self-hatred he felt for putting the both of them into that predicament. Being a guild master was the hardest job ever when it came to being as fair as possible to everyone – especially when someone you love is involved; the Dragon Slayer would have chosen to stick with his guts and taken Juvia away with him had Erza Scarlet not stepped in to remind him of his duty, he knew he would have. At least he admitted that the idea had briefly crossed his mind.

Sting needed to contact Gajeel. The Iron Dragon Slayer would know where to find her for sure, he'll just have to give him the directions and he'll sniff Juvia's scent once he gets there. The trail would be rather old as it had already been three whole days since she has set foot on her destination but a Dragon Slayer's nose was not to be laughed at – Sting Eucliffe won't be bested.

" _Pull yourself together, man!" Gajeel all but snapped at Sting. "I didn't need to hear all your crap to know that you're fucking angry with the situation, Sprinkler's frequent mood swings is a pretty good giveaway."_

 _The blonde's voice was hoarse from all the yelling but he was far, far from calm: his blue eyes were swirling with barely repressed anger and although he was taking huge breaths to cool down, the young guild master still looked like he was about to explode once again. One wrong word would trigger another choleric, loud rant that would shake the whole guild for several minutes. And still, Gajeel needed him to have his head cleared for what he was about to tell him. That had to get through his head and stay there._

" _Listen, Blondie. Sprinkler is probably thinking about distancing herself from the guild. In fact, I think she must be thinking about going somewhere."_

 _That got Sting's attention. He immediately perked up, staring at the red eyes in the lacrima crystal communication with a dark scowl set on his face. "Really? Where?"_

" _Beats me. She received a large package two days ago and since she had looked rather surprised, she mustn't have been expected anything. Nevertheless, it must be something pretty weird: I haven't seen Sprinkler look this solemn and rather silent in a very long time. And I know what I'm talking about," Gajeel snorted, ignoring Sting's dark look. He grunted, his face scrunching up. "You don't care about the conditions of the punishment, do you? If you have enough sense not to care, then you'll know what to do in case you hear someone say that she left the guild."_

Sting cursed under his breath. He should have taken Gajeel's words seriously instead of blindly thinking that she'd stay in Magnolia even after receiving the worst punishment a mage could ever have – but one question remained: what in the world was in that package that made her leave the town and the guild altogether? Why hadn't Gajeel prevented Juvia from doing such thing? Couldn't he have stayed with her until he got there to replace him? Unless... unless...

 _She must have told him to leave._

And if Sting Eucliffe didn't know his mate after being together for more than a month, then he'd say that she must have been damn firm and stubborn to get Gajeel to relent. Another trait he both liked and resented about her; while she could be as understanding and sweet, Juvia could also be as insanely stubborn as hell. And Sting hadn't forgotten how conflicted she had looked when he had told his mate that Sabertooth was looking for Minerva – she still had mixed feelings about Jiemma's daughter and the blonde couldn't blame the bluenette, but once a Sabertooth mage, a Sabertooth mage you will remain. Tigers should always remain one united pack.

"Hey, Sting, good to see – hey, don't ignore me!" Orga exclaimed, surprised that the blonde hasn't even glanced at him and has continued his way toward his office. "What's wrong with you? Got an emergency?"

"Master – I mean, Sting –, are you –" Yukino started to say, but stopped when Sting rushed past her to get into his office. The Stellar Mage stared after his form, startled like many others who had seen him blur past them. What was going on with him now? Upon hearing a familiar she turned around and watched as Rogue approached her, a grim and sympathetic look on his face. "Rogue, do you know what's going on with Sting? He seems rather..."

The dark-haired man nodded. "He's going to go look for his mate, Juvia Lockser left Fairy Tail and Magnolia three days ago."

Yukino's brown eyes widened at this. She had been told that Dragon Slayers would find mates – their life partners – at one point in their existence, which she had found both amazing and rather sad at first; they didn't have to choose whoever they wanted, Fate had chosen for them a long time ago. There would have been the existing possibility that her friends wouldn't love their chosen mate, a fact that could have hurt both poor souls – there had been a chance that Sting and Juvia couldn't love each other. They could have hated each other, maybe to such point that they would have refused to be together or even work this out. But the Celestial Mage had seen and liked how happy Sting truly was when Juvia Lockser of Fairy Tail fully committed herself to him and their relationship; he'd be all smiles, more focused on his duty as a guild master and not forgetting to look after his members and friends. The Water Mage seemed to be the right woman for him, even though she had yet to meet and know her.

But after Yukino was told about her punishment for protecting Sting and attacking the one who had hurt him, to say that the Celestial Mage was appalled by the severity and cruelty of such _thing_ was a damn pitiful understatement – no mage should have his or her magic sealed for doing the right thing, even if it meant attacking a fellow guild member out of free will! And when Sting came back at Sabertooth, looking like he'd been stripped of something so precious that he hadn't looked all there, Yukino couldn't restrain her tears of sadness as her heart went out to him and Juvia.

"She... Juvia-san has _disappeared_?" Yukino's voice didn't do nothing to cover the horror she was feeling right now. "W-where?"

"That's what Sting is trying to discover, so he can track her down to her last known whereabouts," Rogue provided with this same grim face as he folded his arms against his chest, staring at Sting's back. He was talking animatedly to the crystal lacrima, barely restraining himself from shouting. "This is the third day of the third week of their punishment, which means that the first part is about to finish by the end of this week. Master Makarov and Sting had both agreed that he and Juvia would not see each for four weeks straight but, if you want my opinion, I don't think he had planned to respect that part of the deal for starters."

The Celestial Mage didn't need to ask the Shadow Dragon Slayer for more details as she processed everything on her own. From what she'd been told by her two friends, Dragon Slayers shouldn't be separated from their mates for such a large amount of time because of the behaviour they would get and the way it could affect their lives; Sting's mood swings were the living proof that he was suffering from his mate's punishment and the fact that he had to go through four weeks without seeing her was unsettling. Yukino knew that her master was a man of honor – someone trustworthy who was doing his very best to escalate Sabertooth to a respectable and better guild – and would keep his word but, now that she's heard everything about Dragon mating, there was now the existing chance that Sting might just ignore the last four days to be reunited with Juvia Lockser. And Yukino _knew_ he would do just that.

She had her answer when the blonde Dragon Slayer stormed out of his office to leave the guild, not bothering to glance at his partner as he exclaimed over his shoulder. "Rogue, take over my position for now! I'll be gone for a little while!"

The dark-haired man scowled in displeasure. "How long is 'a little while'? You better not be thinking about doing something that would delay you – like staying with Juvia-san longer than you should be! You've got duties to attend to, I hope you know that!"

Did Sting actually listen? A big, mischevious smile was sent over his shoulder. "Thanks, Rogue! I owe you one, so I'll just stay as long as I want! Lector, you coming with me or what?"

The red Exceed didn't need to be asked twice. "Of course! I want to see Juvia-fairy as well!"

"Damn it, Sting," the Shadow Dragon Slayer gritted his teeth in irritation, having guessed right. So he was going to be taking over Sabertooth for God knows how long and he won't see the blonde for... he didn't know how long his twin will be gone: as Rogue knew that Sting would want to remain by his mate's side until she was ready to come along with him to Sabertooth for a while, they would need more time for themselves to make up.

Somehow, Rogue had a feeling that his partner wasn't just all talks when it came to Juvia Lockser; while he'd always been the best jerk ever with his fan-girls when they'd start to be clingly and jealous, he'd become overly sweet and the best mate to the Water Mage. Rogue knew for a fact that Sting harbored very strong feelings toward her and, from what he had seen weeks prior to this fucked up situation, the bluenette returned his feelings. Whether it was blazing love or just pure lust, she returned his feelings as well. The stronger those returned feelings were, the more mates would desire to be together. The dark-haired Dragon Slayer groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Now he understood: the only way to deflate Sting's ire once and for all would be to get him to the blue-haired woman – something that he must have been planning ever since he'd understood he'd be separated from Juvia for such a large amount of time. Maybe he'd counted on her to get away from Fairy Tail so that he'd join her somewhere, especially when the end of the first part of their punishment was drawing near.

 _Nah._ He couldn't have planned that beforehand. _But you were prepared to go after her should she decide to break away from Fairy Tail, weren't you?_ Rogue wondered as his irritation faded away, his gaze softening.

Gajeel must have filled Sting in about Juvia's whereabouts, judging by the numerous times Rogue had caught his partner talking to the Iron Dragon Slayer via lacrima, so that had helped to prepare himself in case she'd do something like this. This friendship between his former master and Sting's mate was quite something to behold, since the two of them seemed so close to the point that the dark-haired mage could understand his best friend's possessiveness and suspicions. But if Gajeel Redfox was the only one Juvia Lockser trusted the most, then it was only fair that he'd let her mate know everything about her.

"Just... don't do anything rash, Sting," Rogue muttered as he closed his eyes in acceptance. "As long as you two work things out for the best, maybe you'll find some peace in your minds."

* * *

There had been a bag ready with clothes, money and food packed in his room should he need to set out to wherever Juvia had gone ever since Gajeel told him about the possibility of his mate leaving both Fairy Tail and the town altogether (even if it was temporary.). Sting had just been waiting for the news to reach his ears and now, who was going to stop him from tracking down his bluenette when they were nearing the end of the first part of that fucking punishment?

" _For some stupid reason, Sprinkler didn't want me or Panther Lily to stay with her when we arrived at her destination. Don't know what the hell is up with her – that is, until I remembered something she told me a long time ago, back when we were still in Phantom..."_

Once the blonde stumbled into his bedroom he grabbed the bag, shot a look at the drawings on his wall – Juvia still didn't know he had snatched some from her mini workshop in the apartment, but that was worth it. She was so talented. – and bolted out seconds later, Lector in tow with his own bag. There were still trains running toward his mate's location at this hour of the afternoon, so Sting would be able to catch one and get there without any problem (minus the fact that he'd be severely down because of motion sickness. Shit. _Period_.).

" _... she used to have a master who taught her how to control her water magic. He taught her the basics, hand-to-hand combat and that strange, but powerful martial art technique that only requires legs. He took her under his wing after something tragic happened to her uncle when she was just a child, so I guess he somehow became the only person she could refer to as a 'relative'. He trained her for two years before sending her off on her own..."_

Could her master have somehow heard about her situation? If so, _how_? Juvia must have taken some serious precautions to hide the horrible device around her neck and since she was forbidden to go on missions for nine weeks straight, there was no way she could have –

Wait. Didn't Gajeel say she had received a package?

Sting rolled his eyes at his own stupidity as he hopped onto a banister to run at the train station, Lector flying above him. _A letter_. Of course, Juvia must have written a letter to her master and inform him of her miserable situation at Fairy Tail and, in return, that master must have invited his student to leave Magnolia and the guild for some time. That could explain the package. Or a part of it. What on earth was in that package? He thought of the many possibilities as he looked at the board, searching for the destination where he would find Juvia; Gajeel told him it was a rather large package, so there must be something quite important in it. But what?

" _... But that absolutely didn't mean that she was expelled from being his student. Sprinkler said that she'd only go to him if she loses control of everything and thinks that she strays from her path. Since she's an orphan, there's no one else she'd go to; you two have been forbidden to see each other for four weeks, she'd rather raise hell around her at the guild than spending her time with the idiots and she was feeling homicidal, so she had no choice. If you plan on going to her, look for someone called Zou Arashikage in Spa Town Hosenka. Trust me, this bastard of a master is freaking popular in this town for being a master Water Mage and since Spa Town Hosenka is famous for its hot springs, Sprinkler told me he'd sometimes go there to enjoy the hot springs. Figures, he's a frickin' Water Mage. So you'll find her there for sure."_

Sting's dark blue eyes burnt with determination as he took the two tickets for him and Lector. So Juvia was in Hosenka. Huh. It would take them at least more than thirteen hours to get there from Sabertooth, since the town was located to the west from Magnolia. The young guild master fought the urge to groan in annoyance as he realized that him and Lector would have to pass by Magnolia if they wanted to reach Spa Town Hosenka – which also meant that they'd probably encounter some members of Fairy Tail should they be unlucky. _Shit_. If they were to run into Erza Scarlet, the red-haired knight would immediately assume that Sting was in town to glean informations about Juvia's absence and go where she would be found. Then she would report to her master, stating that Sting wasn't respecting the first part of the punishment. The blonde knew for sure that Fairy Tail wouldn't be even more cruel than they already were – Juvia's anti-magic collar around her neck was enough proof that they could punish their members when they were at fault – and besides, that would change her vision of the guild (and his by the way.); his mate loved Fairy Tail with all her might and he was aware she would gladly burn her own life to save all her friends. And ever since he and Juvia found each other, the blonde Dragon Slayer didn't have to ask her if she would be willing to burn her life and powers to make sure he'll live.

"Sting?" Lector's voice broke him out of his dark thoughts and he found himself blinking rapidly, looking down at his red Exceed. The cat was looking at him with a determined face, clutching his bag. "You still look like you want to strangle everybody. Calm down."

 _Was he that easy to read?_ "Sorry, Lector," the blonde sighed as he looked at the board. Their train was due to arrive in ten minutes, so he still had time to cool off and think of a plan. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Guess this punishment had me always flying off the handle more than once and I can't do anything about it. Unless I have Juvia in my arms right now." His eyelids opened once more to look at his friend apologetically, a very small smile stretching his lips. "Four weeks without her, you know, is hell for a Dragon Slayer."

Lector patted his leg with a confident smile. "It's almost over, you know: the first part is nearing its end and if we're lucky enough, maybe we won't run into Erza... or the Ice Mage." The latter words were said hesitantly, since Lector was aware of the newfound hatred toward the cause of this screwed up situation.

Sting spaced out, feeling that oh-so familiar blazing sensation known as wrath in his chest. _Oh, that's right_. **Gray Fullbuster**. The blonde hadn't given him much thought when he had been busy raising mayhem to whatever thug on his jobs the past three weeks to forget – and also bury – his urge to slaughter the bastard responsible for this shitty punishment over their heads. Good thing he had been punished as well, because Sting would have yelled his discontent over the whole predicament and demanded to review Master Makarov's meaning of a family. Having his magic severely limited to the point of being called 'weak' when you're supposed to be strong was an humiliation even he wouldn't want to face. Nonetheless, that did absolutely nothing to ease their predicament.

Another bloody, merciless beating would certainly make Sting Eucliffe much better than he was right now.

A voice announced the arrival of their train, which made the two friends perk up instantly. They walked out to the platform, subtly ignoring some awestruck fan-girls beside them. When the train finally pulled up before him, he felt his anger being replaced by this now welcome feeling of burning determination – a very nice warmth that seemed comforting and similar to a blanket around his shoulders. Sting could almost smile genuinely. _Almost_. Because he wanted his blue-haired woman to see that smile once he got there with Lector. He wanted her forgiveness, her trust once again – everything that would make them happy once again.

Her love.

He couldn't be more clearer, it was just _this_ simple. _Huh_. Sting Eucliffe wanted Juvia Lockser's love once again, if she had started to hate him because they both were into this predicament. Gods, his heart and soul wanted and needed her all at once. Screw this fucking punishment and the consequences if he was breaking the rules, Master Makarov himself should be thinking about releasing Juvia from this torture. Wasn't his beloved mate one of his precious children, like the old man always stated?

"Let's hope she won't bite my head off once we get there," Sting muttered as he hopped into the train, Lector in tow. "I don't want to fight. Not now, not even in the future."

* * *

 _It's strange to find myself in their presence_.

After years of fending for herself in the wild world that was Fiore, the Water Mage found herself quite at ease in the presence of her old master. He always carried that peaceful aura around him that managed to make Juvia relaxed; it was as if she had forgotten all her problems once she had been greeted by Hoenn, her master's butler-friend, at the Spa Town Hosenka train station, because the simple familiar sight of Hoenn had been enough to make her remember all the memories she preciously kept in a corner of her mind and she had genuinely smiled for the first time in three weeks. _Damn_! Even though he was the one who helped her strengthen her footwork through merciless training after Master Zou said that they would get back into water magic training tomorrow, Juvia had shared so many good things with her master's butler-friend – he had become both her an older brother and a confident during the two years she had spent with them before breaking apart. She'd been five back then, Hoenn had been nineteen. So even after nearly twenty years spent apart, because those damn seven years that blasted black dragon had stolen from them all had made her lose track of everything, her master and his trusted butler-friend hadn't really changed at all – Hoenn was still a single man, despite his handsome looks, and Master Zou still hadn't found the will to settle down somewhere he would be better than his snowy mountains!

 _Even after all these years, I still feel peace around them._

She stretched on her futon, then straightened herself until she stood up. Even now she couldn't lie to herself: Juvia did feel peaceful in this house, in this city – away from Magnolia and Fairy Tail, away from the ones she still considered her family despite her current predicament. And she could smile genuinely more often just by listening to Hoenn's soft tone when he spoke to Master Zou in the living-room. She had made the right decision to send them a letter and tell about her situation because of her actions: not only they taught her how to fight with her legs and to use her water magic, they also were the wisest men she had ever had the chance to meet and stay with. Master Zou being a Water Mage just like her, but on an outrageously different level, he seemed to have lived for so long. Juvia had been but a child back then, but he sounded like he understood how this world functioned.

The blue-haired woman made her way toward the bathroom, intent on refreshing herself before joining Hoenn and Master Zou in the living-room. As she brushed her teeth, she couldn't help but wonder how it was possible for them to own a house in Spa Town Hosenka – did they even live there for more than three months? How did they manage to rent such a big mansion like this one if Master Zou was a hermit? She'd have to ask them about this, because all she remembered of her two years of training with them was the fact that they had shared a small house in the middle of snowy mountains, when she'd learnt to control her magic. _Seven years might have done them some good_ , Juvia thought as she stepped into the shower.

"Hey Lil' Blue, don't ya forget to eat something," Hoenn said in a patronizing tone when she entered the kitchen. Her blue eyes narrowed slightly when she saw him pointing a fork at her, smirking. "Ol' Zou is heading out to get some supplies before splashing, so all that might take a lil' while before the three of us get to talk about more serious matters. So eat ya eggs and bacon, ya lost a lil' bit of weight since ya last pictures."

Juvia was tempted to disagree with him but, as she considered his words, she did look thinner: she had always been curvy – the clothes she always wore at the guild covered almost every part of her body because the Water Mage was modest and kind of reluctant to show so much skin (unlike one Celestial Mage who liked to use her sex-appeal to get the most headstrong men to give her what she wanted... _minx_!). Having this atrocity around her neck had put her under stress the last three weeks and although she still ate, her stomach hadn't been able to keep any food. So she had lost weight. Hoenn had noticed, Master Zou had also noticed by feeling the rush of blood and water inside her body.

The urge to cry was burning in her chest and her eyes were already tearing up at the thought of being pampered. _Again_ , like old times when she had been a child. She swallowed, relenting. "Fine, fine. I'll... OK, Hoenn." Juvia sat down on her chair, pulling her long, cerulean hair into a loose bun. She looked at her plate, blinking. Eggs, bacon, bread. So _delicious_ , because that had been her favorite ever since she was a child. And judging by this sweet smell, the butler-friend was making pancakes as well. Now that was all too familiar for her because –

She could hear his smirk in his voice when she was digging in. "Tell me, Lil' Blue... ya've gotten laid, right? That blonde Dragon Slayer from that guild of tigers popped ya lil' cherry, right?"

– Hoenn only did this to make her spill the beans whenever she did something stupid. And the fact that he seemed to know about Sting managed to shock her to the point that she started to choke on her food; Juvia coughed, bending over and tapping her chest repeatedly. The butler-friend laughed heartily, slapping her back to ease her coughing fit. When she recovered she glared, her eyes flashing and cheeks ablaze.

"You... How... _What_?" she wheezed, breathing hard. She couldn't believe it.

His golden eyes twinkled, his smirk widening. " _Shishi_ , ya think I wouldn't keep an eye on my Lil' Blue? Ya've grown a lot, ya know. From the crying lil' girl to this gorgeous, buxom woman, I needed to follow the news and gossips." He burst out laughing, throwing his head back. "Ol' Zou won't believe his ears, our Lil' Blue has become such a fine woman... oh, and I knew about ya and that tiger because I've watched ya two at the end of the Grand Magic Games."

 _Huh?_ Juvia blinked, at a loss. What in God's name was Hoenn blabbering about now? Sting and Juvia had been pretty careful when they had officially begun their secret relationship after a whole night of lustful and excited trysts away from prying eyes, no one in Fairy Tail – except Gajeel, because that walking piece of iron would always be the first to know what was new in her life – could have known that Juvia Lockser, who was once crazy in love with Gray Fullbuster, was now involved with Sting Eucliffe of Sabertooth on their very first time together. And _why the hell_ was Hoenn saying 'watched' instead of 'knew'? He couldn't have –

Dark blue eyes slowly widened in realization as golden orbs twinkled in mischief and his smirk widened even more at the same time. Her blush intensified as disbelief and shock were now apparent on her face. _No_. No, no, no, no. Her fork fell in her plate as her grip grew considerably slack, her heart hammering in her chest. Her master's butler-friend... and Hoenn sure was proud about doing this, even though he knew he could have been skewered alive by a very possessive, irate Dragon Slayer just by ogling her writhing body underneath Sting's!

Juvia wasted no time in voicing her outrage, eyes now ablaze with burning fury. "Hoenn! You... _what_. _On_. _Earth_?!" she shrieked, jumping on her two feet. Her hands were trembling, so were her long legs. She was itching to murder him.

He even dared to wink at her. "I have eyes everywhere when it's either about ya or Ol' Zou. Didn't know ya had it in ya, Lil' Blue. Ya could make amazing moans and screams when ya boyfriend takes ya from be – _Hop_!" Hoenn laughed as he swiftly and nimbly dodged a very well aimed kick at his head. Almost as fluid and graceful as a figure gliding on the surface of water he dodged Juvia's swift and undoubtedly powerful kicks, his mischevious eyes never leaving her furious ones.

Hoenn had always known how to elicite his Lil' Blue's ire whenever he just wanted some entertainment or desired to help her in her training. This time was no exception, though this was not about training or his own interest – the goal was to distract her from sinking back into her somber, depressive self because of that goddamn device around her neck. He hadn't been there when the master of Fairy Tail had tied that horrible anti-magic collar to Juvia's neck but he had had heard enough stories about that dreadful abomination to guess how his Lil' Blue had reacted once she couldn't feel her magic anymore; he had seen the red streaks on her skin, where she must have tried to claw it away because of the sudden, choking dread of not being able to perform any magic at all. Hoenn and Master Zou could imagine the look on her face, so panicked and disbelieved at first, then empty and devoid of life – something that the butler-friend now hated to see. He'd seen how alive and free-spirited she had been during the Grand Magic Games with her guild and former love interest, he'd loved it. And somehow, _somehow_... that changed drastically when there were talks in Magnolia about a big fight involving his Lil' Blue, Sting Eucliffe and Gray Fullbuster three weeks and a half ago. Hoenn had been amazed to learn that she'd go as far as hurting a friend out of free will to protect her boyfriend – amazed, and so damn pleased about it.

Juvia had improved to one wonderful level in her own footwork; her attacks were no longer clumsy, indecisive or slow, but confident, powerful and so swift that Hoenn himself had a hard time seeing them coming. The fact that she wasn't wearing pants but shorts enhanced her long, toned and slender legs – another fact that showed that Juvia had worked hard to build this body. Ah, perfect. And those legs... _damn_! That blonde Dragon Slayer was one lucky sonafubitch to have snatched Lil' Blue from both Ice Mages. Now the butler was a bit curious how those big breasts of hers couldn't snap some buttons from her white blouse, because her chest was huge!

Hoenn did a perfect somersault to land onto the counter, hands in his pockets and leaning on one foot to balance himself. He smirked playfully at a seething Juvia, who was doing a headstand on just one hand onto the table. Her legs were clamped together so that she wouldn't lose her balance, which made him smirk proudly. _Lil' Blue still remembers her lessons and applies them_ , he thought, chest puffing and swelling with pride. _Good_.

He sent her another wink. "Glad ya haven't forgotten our lessons, Lil' Blue," he drawled nonchalantly. "Ya balance on this table is perfect, I'm so proud. But really, ya need to eat before we – _Ha_? What are ya doing, sitting like this?" His golden orbs widened at the sight of Juvia sitting crossed legs onto the table, eating her plate casually and still glaring at him. Hoenn scowled. "Ya got a chair, use it."

"Hn."

 _Ha? What's this?_ Hoenn wondered with a raised eyebrow as he got into a staring match with Juvia. She'd obey him with no resistance back then when he wanted her to sit properly because she needed to learn manners; now she was ignoring him? Interesting. His foot would always hit her head pretty hard whenever she wouldn't listen and she'd relent grudgingly, but without any more complaints. He knew she'd gotten quite headstrong over the years but to this extent? Was it because she became a Dragon Slayer's mate? What were the changes?

Juvia watched her master's butler-friend crouching before her on the counter with thoughtful, furious eyes while eating. Despite having aged he still maintained his handsome looks; his hair was split into two colours – bright orange for the left side and pure white for the right one. Years ago he had it longer, always braided behind on his back, now it looked a little bit shorter but still braided. Some bangs fell upon his eyes but that didn't seem to bother him when cooking or fighting, so he let them be. Hoenn's body was muscular, but not as buffed as Gajeel's: it was lean and long to match with his fighting skills – his legs were proof of that. His usual attire consisted of a traditional butler's clothing that he always wore with elegance – no wonder Juvia had had a crush on him when she was younger! The other characteristic trait about him (other than his bicolour hair) was the giant tattoo on his chest, that spread all the way to his stomach: both unlikely and strangely fascinating at the same time, it represented a rather unique tree to her eyes. But to Hoenn's, it represented the path of his life.

 _Path of your life, huh_ , she thought as she frowned a little, a glass of apple juice in hand. She'd have to ask him about that before leaving, because she had yet to know everything about Hoenn's life before he became Master Zou Arashikage's butler-friend. And talking about him and his life prior to the one he was living with the master Water Mage might help Juvia to sort out her thoughts about her life as a Fairy Tail Mage.

"Say, Lil' Blue."

Juvia blinked, focusing on him. His golden orbs had lost their mischevious glint to harbour this serious expression she had seen so many times during their training together. She readied herself, knowing beforehand that Hoenn only sported this kind of face when he wished to tread on dangerous waters. And he'll lose that foreign accent to talk like people in Ishgar. He got off the metallic counter to face the blue-haired woman, his hands still in his pockets as his eyes assessed her.

"Your letter said you're having doubts about your current family, as if you didn't know if you still could live with them after what the old man is forcing you to go through with that anti-magic collar around your neck. I'm not even surprised." Hoenn fingered the abomination and she stiffened, her body now frozen on its spot. The light in his golden dulled and his face fell as he took in the now empty look plastered on Juvia's beautiful features. And the healing red streaks that adorned her creamy white skin... "Master Zou himself doesn't blame you for feeling some hatred toward Makarov Dreyar, you know. You're hurting terribly, you're having trust issues and you feel like you're straying from your own path."

He gritted his teeth.

"That's one hell of a messed up shit you and your man have been thrown into. All of this, because you protected him from someone who wanted to hurt him."

Juvia had to swallow several times to reply. And when she found her voice, it was wavering. Even her features were twitching hard. "Hoenn... I-I-I wanted to run away, run away from Master Makarov a-a-as fast as I could..."

 _There_. There it was, what the butler was looking for. Juvia's breakdown. She didn't have to hide from him or Master Zou, they had grown to know all her facades due to Hoenn's network and could tell whenever she was fighting down something big. So there was no way in hell she'd hide the fact that she wanted to slaughter in rage, to scream sorrowfully even more than she had three weeks ago and to cry her eyes out from being reduced to this state from them. No, he won't allow that.

The Water Mage didn't need to hide anymore and by the trembling of her body, she knew it would have betrayed her sooner or later. She exhaled a shaky breath, unable to hold onto her glass any longer and it crashed loudly onto the floor. Wide, dark blue eyes seemed to stare at Hoenn without seeing him, which truly creeped him out. Juvia exhaled once again. Another shaky breath. "My instincts even told me to use my magic against him, Hoenn. Can you believe it? Against _him_. Him, Master Makarov. Maybe I should have." Her hands then began to raise – toward her neck, as if to try and scratch that horrible thing away. Hoenn, as swift as ever, caught them in his bigger hands and held them tightly. But that didn't stop her from talking. "Y-yes, maybe I should have. I should have tried to fight them off, both of them."

"'Them'? Who's them, Juvia?" he asked, fighting hard the urge to knock her out because _damn it to hell_ , he couldn't bear that expression on her.

"Makarov and Laxus. Laxus is a Lightning Mage, so he could have trapped me easily. I'm no match for him, after all. I'm not Natsu-san." She swallowed once again, her trembling increasing a little. "He held me against his chest, tightly so that I wouldn't escape – probably because water can't win against lightning and I would have been shocked, even though they wouldn't have resorted to this to tie that... that... do you think I should have hurt them, Hoenn? Do you think I should have tried to reason with them? Fight them off?"

Could he respond to this? "Maybe you should have. But _could_ you _have_ fought them off?"

There was a deafening silence between the two which, in all, said plenty without her having to voice the negative answer. Juvia whimpered in defeat, eyes slowly tearing up.

"They had me cornered."

"They had you cornered," Hoenn repeated, pursing his lips. He swallowed with difficulty, struggling to meet her eyes without faltering. "I don't know how most magical guilds work, but here's something you should know for sure: Fairy Tail doesn't treat its family this way, it takes care of them and loves every member equally. I've observed them long enough to know that Old Makarov was loathe to do something as cruel as this. Believe it or not, he didn't want to do this. Juvia," he called. He waited until he had her attention, her distraught eyes boring into his golden orbs. "What do you remember? Of that particular event at the lake after Gray Fullbuster insulted you?"

Somehow, that question sounded peculiar. Because Juvia didn't understand why he was asking this but the more she tried to remember the events, the more confusing she became; her mind was foggy and she didn't know why. She frowned, trying hard to grasp onto whatever could help her remember that particularly hellish moment. Hoenn remained silent, patient.

 _Some sounds of water hitting something hard, some sounds of something breaking under the pressure of some element. Some voices shouting something – was it Erza? Was it Lucy? Was it Natsu? She couldn't decipher which voice belonged to, it seemed her mind was focused on one thing only..._

 **Protect. Protect. Protect. Protect with all your might.**

"... concentrate on my voice, Lil' Blue... gonna be alright..."

Easier said than done. Hoenn wasn't the one who was trying to remember some shitty memory about someone she had cared a lot and was close to having an anxiety attack. Juvia clutched her head, her eyes shut and gritting her teeth. Those sounds were painful to remember, as if she could feel the pain they inflicted.

… _Juvia could recognize one sound she loved so much and would recognize everywhere. The sound of water. Usually so calm and soothing when she wished it to be, lethal and merciless whenever she wanted it to be. As an extension of her own mind and body, she instantly knew she was the one controlling it. And judging from the sounds of it, it was a fight. A_ violent _one..._

"... breathe, Lil' Blue... anxiety attack... shit, what the hell –"

"Enough, Hoenn. Juvia."

 **That voice**. Calm, yet with this familiar, stern tone that always managed to relax them both without trying too much. Soothing, like a peaceful sea that would even lull a wyvern to sleep. Even after almost twenty years apart and living away from him, he still had that positive effect on her: the blue-haired woman's trembling stopped almost at once and the mental racket in her head faded, becoming a familiar and soothing melody that was sung to her whenever she had a frightening nightmare. That melody sounded like the peaceful noises the sea could produce when the weather was perfect – like a lullaby. _Juvia's lullaby_.

His footsteps were soft onto the wooden floor, in synch with the soothing sound she could hear in her mind. Juvia's features relaxed considerably and her eyes dropped a little, as if she were sleepy. Her breathing calmed down progressively and her heartbeat ceased to hammer in her chest, no longer hurting her. Juvia wanted to turn around and have a look at her master, even just a glance in her slumbering state to catch the color of his hakama.

"Ah, Ol' Zou. Didn't know you were awake," she heard Hoenn say in a drawl. She could however catch the relief in his nonchalant tone – a sign that he was relieved that her anxiety attack had been avoided in a heartbeat.

His humming only served to render the blue-haired Water Mage even more sleepy. "It's hard to sleep when your wild bickering reverberates all over the walls of this house," he said. His voice had a rich baritone Juvia had always found exotic and immensely pleasant, which could have made many women swoon in delight. But it only served to lull her to sleep, because there was only one voice that could make her feel so weak in the knees and the owner of that voice wasn't here with them. Her eyelids were almost shut when she felt a hand on the top of her head, ruffling the small bun. "It's even harder to ignore your pain, little one. Go to sleep, Hoenn and I will manage just fine. Disturbed waters must be calmed down in order to find harmony once again."

There was a small chuckle from the almost forty-year old heartthrob before her. "What he said, Lil' Blue. Here is your home as well, you know."

 _Hm. Hey, Hoenn..._

It would seem that even Juvia Lockser couldn't deny her body's demands, combined with her master's and his butler-friend's. With a soft sigh she fell in Hoenn's arms, eyes shut and breathing even. Out like a light.

… _you're right. Stop being right._

* * *

"Hoenn," Zou Arashikage called, in hushed tones. His calm, light purple eyes watched over a sound asleep Juvia who was hugging and nuzzling her pillow – and covers – with all her might. As if she was cuddling with someone. This sight almost made him chuckle. _She misses someone she loves so much_ , he thought as he adjusted his hakama.

His bicoloured head popped up into Juvia's room, bright golden eyes inquiring. "Yeah?" he asked, curious.

"You said you've been spying on Juvia ever since I sent her off on her own years ago, right?"

Hoenn's eyes twitched in irritation. Even the master Water Mage got it all wrong, by the gods! "I don't know what you mean. Not 'spying on', _watching over_ , Ol' Zou. That's _completely_ , _utterly_ , _totally_ , different." He snorted. He wasn't going to tell him that he calculated Juvia's breast size just by watching it bounce during the Grand Magic Games (even when the blonde Dragon Slayer was taking her, that is...). No, no. Not even Sting Eucliffe should know this.

Master Zou blinked slowly. "The slight fluctuation of the water in your body suggests otherwise, so I guess I've used the right word to describe what you and your 'genius' mind have been doing all these years." He tuned out the curses muttered in a foreign language thrown his way, assessing his young student with thoughtful eyes.

He could guess what his most trusted friend wasn't telling – better, he could hear them without having to ask.

" _I was so sure that Lil' Blue had found within Fairy Tail what she needed in life, at long last. After she left us to fend for herself in Fiore, I've been watching over in the shadows and through my network, never interfering but always wanting to. Phantom Lord had somehow... 'darkened' Lil' Blue to the point even I couldn't recognize her. 'Rain Woman', they used to call her. Tch, she's always been more than a woman who commands water and calls the rain! But hey, we can't speak the idiot to actual idiots – that would be even more frustrating. And when she joined Fairy Tail, Lil' Blue came back to life and was alive once more! Bright like clear water under the sun, shining like diamonds!"_

" _So... Fairy Tail treats its members equally, right? Then why is Lil' Blue the only one suffering so much for doing what she thought was right? She's done the only thing she should have done: she protected her man!"_

" _Hey, Ol' Zou..."_

Light purple eyes flashed in controlled anger, then closed as he silently stood from his position.

"Let's buy more supplies, old friend," he said. "I believe we'll have other guests throughout Juvia's stay with us. And afterward, maybe we'll do a small trip to the mountains. These two..." He gazed at Juvia's sleeping form, taking in her relaxed features. Relaxed. Peaceful. But fury was still lurking under that front. "... they have a lot to get rid of."

Hoenn's expression became solemn. "Like her man and his red kitty? Should've seen this coming."

Master Zou nodded, stepping out of Juvia's bedroom. Before he could close the door, he heard her voice and the name of the man he'd be confronting very soon.

"Sting... Sting...," she was whispering softly.

"You won't wait any longer, Lil' Blue," Hoenn sighed, closing her door silently. "You won't."

This was a promise.

" _... I'm starting to resent Fairy Tail for doing this to Lil' Blue."_

* * *

"It's almost been four weeks, Gray." Erza sternly reminded him. Her brown eyes just couldn't be more frightening. "Most of the injuries Juvia has inflicted on you have healed, yet you are still forbidden to use your magic to its full extent. Moreover, you have yet to solve your issues with Juvia and Sting." She took a breath, eyes shut. The red-haired knight took a moment to collect her thoughts without the several curses and insults her mind was coming up with. Fighting down the urge to beat Gray to death was even harder to do so, because he deserved it so bad. "As you must have heard from Mira and Cana, Juvia left Magnolia and the guild for a while, without telling us where she'd go. But I take it that she must be trying to sort out her feelings about you. If I didn't know her, I'd say that Juvia hates your guts with a burning passion. What are _your_ thoughts, Gray?"

The Ice Mage bit his lower lip in justified frustration, hands clutching his head.

"Because I certainly never thought I'd see the day when you get heavily beaten by the woman who used to love you with all her might," Erza continued, her voice becoming sadder. "I've never seen so much sadness and fury in her eyes when your words finally sank in her head and, to be honest, I'm with her on this one."

Dark eyes narrowed in a nasty glare. "And yet you didn't say anything," Gray countered darkly. "You didn't even try to object to master's punishment on Juvia."

"Did you?" came the harsh, merciless answer.

 _No_. He didn't even have to lie to himself and pathetic excuses would only serve to make him appear like a fucking victim who had nothing to do with that royal mess he'd created out of anger and – he still couldn't believe he had felt such emotion – jealousy. Gray hadn't objected to Juvia's punishment and the gods know how much he should have because he had been the one to instigate her fury – and, therefore, he should have been the one to be heavily punished. Having his magic severely limited to the point of being so weak that he'd have to rely on everyone else and being forbidden to go on missions was one thing, but having his magic completely sealed by anti-magic collar?

 _Juvia_. Gray couldn't even get himself to say her name out loud without feeling a crushing guilt straining his lungs and throat; nothing he could say would be enough to get her to forgive both his words and actions toward her and Sting. Forgiveness had always been part of any Fairy Tail Mage and he was sure that Juvia had acquired the will to forgive as well (he wasn't even going to wonder if Gajeel was as merciful as she was, that brute would have just maimed him for even trying to talk to him.) but, during those past three, he'd seen the Water Mage at her worst and having her magic sealed was one thing she had sometimes snapped about – the cause of her very recent outburst being one of Jet's remarks. He sighed heavily. Damn Levy's partners, they had never known when to shut the hell up when they should: one angered Juvia Lockser was not to joke with, and the one who had to go through nine weeks without magic was _very_ dangerous.

He still remembered Natsu's words and outbursts at the master three weeks ago for punishing Juvia.

" _Old man, you can't do that to Juvia! Do you have any idea how she must be feeling right now? She must be feeling so... lost and betrayed. I just_ can't _believe you'd do something like this to one of your children – I mean, you did banish Laxus once because he hurt everyone in the guild but you force Juvia to go through a nine weeks-long punishment without magic because she did what she thought was right? What the hell, old man?! This isn't Fairy Tail-like, this... THIS ISN'T WHAT OUR GUILD BELIEVES IN!"_

" _C'mon, old man! Just ask Juvia to come at the guild so you can take that damn thing off her neck in a second and... OK, maybe she won't forgive you right on the spot even if you take it off but you should consider this: the first master wouldn't have done something so horrible to her friends, you know this, I know this –_ hell _, we_ all _know this!"_

" _Old man, just make her come to the guild already so you can take the damn anti-magic collar off! Gray truly deserved that beating, he was lucky to have been attacked by Juvia instead of Sting: a Dragon Slayer is overly protective and would do anything to protect his mate from any harm, whether it's a person or an animal. I don't think Sting would have killed Gray because he insulted Juvia, but he would have_ seriously _hurt him. Vice-versa for a Dragon Slayer's mate. So if you understand what I'm trying to say, old man, then GET JUVIA HERE! RIGHT. THE HELL. NOW!"_

Natsu's outbursts had never shaken the guild like this before. No, never. And he'd been joined by Gajeel, who had viewed the guild like a good release. Seeing the two Dragon Slayers team up for something other than a battle against two common enemies was a rare sight for everyone, so rare in fact that even Erza couldn't help but be left speechless and silent throughout their whole. The shame and guilt that had been washing over his body had prevented him from voicing whatever would have been lame excuses for his behaviour, words and actions toward the two lovebirds and a giveaway for another bloody and merciless beating from the Iron Dragon Slayer, who couldn't bear seeing his closest friend in such state.

But Mavis Vermillion's words were the ones who had hit home the most.

" _Forgiving. Moving on. Living. This, we Fairy Tail Mages can do. Any guild master of Fairy Tail has learnt to do this without having to hurt any guild member even if the situation is quite problematic. Trust is also what makes a Fairy Tail Mage. And you may have broken Juvia's trust and spirit by sealing her magic, Makarov. By doing so, you may also have lost more than you all can think; whether she decides to remain a Fairy Tail Mage after what you're putting her through or not, it's her decision to make. Four weeks without seeing the man she loves – the one who loves her back without any restraint –, nine weeks without magic..."_

"She may not forgive me, Erza," Gray said through clenched teeth. "She... she may not forgive master and Laxus for having her magic sealed because she attacked me willingly to protect Sting..."

The red-haired knight either didn't hear him or ignored his words, for she remained silent with her bangs covering her eyes. She appeared in deep thought but, if he were to be honest, Gray absolutely didn't care. A horrific idea was bugging him, painful and terribly realistic if he were to think about it; the first master's words had spoken some heartbreaking, dreadful truth that even he didn't want to hear because there was a chance that they would turn out to be true. Really, he didn't want this to be a future reality.

" _... Juvia might not find the will to forgive you, Makarov. Even if you were to beg her. Therefore, you will have lost a daughter."_

Gray released his lower lip with a hiss, finally feeling a sharp pain in his skin. He hadn't realized that he'd been biting on his lip until it bled. However, not even the metallic taste of his own blood was enough to brush off that horrible thought. He glanced at the darkening sky, the lump in his throat becoming bothering.

Was it a possibility? Would she even think about it?

* * *

"Dammit..."

 _Never again_ , he swore as he crawled his way out of the train, his Exceed cheering him on. Thirteen hours or more to get to Spa Town Hosenka all the way from Sabertooth. This was the perfect example of a living hell for any Dragon Slayer but, what do you know? Sting Eucliffe made it out alive. And his mate was near, he could smell her heavenly scent.

Having spent about a day in a train, Sting and Lector had arrived in Spa Town Hosenka in the late afternoon. And what a beautiful city it was; the sun hadn't completely set, so the lights weren't on yet but even his enhanced sight could appreciate beauty when there was. The blonde smiled a little as he knelt, dusting himself.

"Phew, what a long trip," Lector sighed, rubbing his eyes. "And here I thought you weren't going to make it, Sting. It must be the excitement to see Juvia-fairy that allowed you to bear your motion sickness."

The blonde chuckled. "Yeah," he agreed.

He was about to get up when Juvia's scent hit his nose and his heartbeat quickened, freezing him on the spot. She was near! His dark blue eyes came to life and he looked on his left, expecting to see a woman with cerulean hair, the most beautiful and delicious body he will taste until death. Unfortunately for Sting, what he actually saw was –

 _Orange_. _White_. _Golden_. Definitely not blue.

He blinked in confusion and quiet disbelief, bemused. This man – who the hell was this man? He looked like a butler with his attire – a royal one, judging by the way he was standing in front of Sting. But the smirk came out wrong; it was almost as if this butler was making fun of him. Which was enough to rile the Dragon Slayer up.

"Got a problem, string bean?" Sting snarled, scowling.

Said 'string bean' blinked innocently. " _Ha_?" he muttered. Then he chuckled, seemingly amused. "Yeah, ya must be Sting Eucliffe, Lil' Blue's man. And the red kitty, Lector."

"Huh?" The blonde didn't understand his words. _Lil' Blue_? What the hell?

'String bean' folded his arms, cocking his head on one side and still smirking. "Usually, I 'correct' those who throw impolite insults at me with well-aimed kicks and I would've beaten ya dragon-like ass if she hadn't warned me about ya and if ya weren't her man." He approached them elegantly, as if he were kind of gliding. "OK. My name is Hoenn, Master Zou Arashikage's butler. And friend. And _yes_ , Juvia is with us so... wanna come and not break my neck if I told ya I've been watching ya two go at it like hotdamn rabbits?"

* * *

 **Author's Note 1:** SHAME ON ME! So sooooooooorry, everyone: had my exams during a whole week, so I put my energy to that. Tch! Well, this baby's out. Finally!

 **Author's Note 2:** I just realized... I might need more chapters before starting the Tartaros Arc. Yeah. _Haha_!

 **Next Chapter:** _Let It Out, Baby, Let It Out._


	8. Let It Out, Baby, Let It Out

**Summary:** _"_ _Who makes you moan? Who makes you scream in pleasure and joy? I. Fucking. Do._ _What's mine is mine and sharing isn't an option_ _I'd even_ _have the idiocy to consider."_

 _After the Grand Magic Games, Juvia_ _Lockser_ _took time to reflect on her life – including Gray Fullbuster. Something she wouldn't have done on her own since she was always caught up in her fantasy._ _It hurt like a bitch to realize that a one-sided love would never be returned, it truly did. And moving on was even harder to do. But still, Juvia swore to do so._ _Somehow, there's a way for everything._

 **Genre:** _Drama/Friendship._

 **Disclaimer:** To say that Fairy Tail belongs to me is pure fantasy. Hiro Mashima remains the creator and has all the rights.

 **/!\ Warning: This fan-fiction has tons of smut and I won't tell when and where you'll read them in those chapters. I'm unpredictable, huh! Minors have been warned and if you're caught off guard...remember that this fan-fiction is rated M. Read the summary carefully before launching yourself on this story.**

* * *

… In which Sting Eucliffe and Juvia Lockser can finally let it all out.

* * *

[ **I've been listening to** _Let It Out_ by  Miho Fukuhara – **the second ending of** _Full Metal Alchemist – Brotherhood_ (which I'm currently watching again!) **while writing this chapter**. **Beautiful anime,** **beautiful and incredible story plot,** **beautiful openings and endings**. **I loved and will forever love** _Full Metal Alchemist_. Oh, and there's also _We Are_ by  Ana Johnsson.]

* * *

 **Chapter Eight:** _Let It Out, Baby, Let It Out_

* * *

[ **The first part of the punishment, third week,** " _Day Four_ ".]

 _Light purple eyes opened slowly to stare at the scrolls in his hands as Zou Arashikage processed to read the contents – which was proving to be quite the challenge when the fluctuations he could feel through his water magic were this difficult to ignore. The young blonde man seated in front of him looked all the more relaxed; his arms were folded against his powerful, naked chest (though he was wearing a jacket and elbow-length gloves. The boy was pretty confident about his sex-appeal around Juvia.), his eyes held an inquiring, calm look and his expression was solemn. But master Zou was able to pick up the fluctuations of his heartbeat, slightly more agitated than normal, and the swift glances he was throwing Juvia who was seated on his left, as if making sure she was still there with him. She, on the contrary, was like an open book: her expression was conflicted between apprehension and her usual shyness, she was biting her lower lip and fiddling with the hem of her white sweater with her long, slender fingers. Her heartbeat was more agitated than Sting Eucliffe's and despite the fact that Juvia still remembered her lessons consisting about calming down, it didn't seem to work. Zou wasn't going to lie, the atmosphere was indeed kind of tense because of this silence and the serious expression he was adorning – only when serious matters needed to be treated carefully._

 _Juvia Lockser and Sting Eucliffe_ were _a serious matter. And he needed his student to be serene and settle down so that they could aboard the subject of their conversation peacefully._

 _However, the master Water Mage witnessed something intriguing: the blonde Dragon Slayer fully turned toward the blue-haired woman with a sigh, his blue slanted orbs seemingly heated and burning with an emotion that only enamoured lovers would feel. They concentrated on Juvia's perturbed eyes once they flickered over them and, almost immediately, the young woman's attention was on Sting: Zou watched attentively as he reached a hand to grasp her right one, tugged on her wrist to pull her body against his and brought his face close to hers – so close so that his lips were brushing over hers in the softest feathery touch ever. That simple action was enough to agitate Juvia's heartbeat even more, make her blush a pretty shade of red and send a rush of blood toward the blonde's most proud area (when it comes to his student.). Hormones. That boy is... is he really going to molest my student right in front of me? Some guts he has, Zou thought with a small frown of disapproval on his face._

 _But he was once again proved wrong when Sting's words reached their ears. "Calm down, Siren," he whispered to her in a patronizing yet smooth tone. "I won't settle down and be able to talk to your master if you're this agitated, we're not on trial so there's no point in being frustrated and worried."_

" _B-but –"_

 _Sting silenced Juvia with a kiss, long and slow, which earned them both a whistle and a 'Go for it, Lizard Hunk!' from the ever watchful Hoenn – who was busy preparing sandwiches for everyone and supposed to be focused on his damn task at hand – and a startled master Water Mage who stared at them through blinking, light purple eyes. Was this really happening in this household? And here he thought that catching Hoenn hiding thousand of gifts from his fan-girls in every storehouse of this home was enough to irritate him. That Dragon Slayer would have to be disciplined if he were to stay here with them, because watching him act like this with his young student – which included making out with her in front of him while they all intended to have a talk about the past weeks. Sting Eucliffe was a guild master, wasn't he? Shouldn't he act like one instead of the lover who was trying to soothe his female before –_

 _Zou did a double-take, straining his ears to listen to that strange sound. Was that a purr? He glanced at the red Exceed, who was looking at the two lovebirds with a satisfied and relieved expression, and frowned in confusion. If the cat wasn't the one purring and since Zou wasn't keen on felines or dogs in this sacred household, then that only left one person able to do such thing: he looked up to see, with eyes slightly wide in disbelief, Sting Eucliffe with his face nuzzling Juvia's right side with a beatic, yet reassuring smile. He truly was the one purring – a sound this strong that Zou could feel the vibrations through his own body. No feline could produce such powerful sound that would have shaken the whole building with vibrations ten times, it had to be the doing of a mightier beast. When Zou saw Juvia close her eyes in bliss and sigh with relief, he instantly knew that the boy had somehow managed to calm her down; her heartbeat had slowed down, regaining a normal rhythm, and she leaned in his embrace to wind her arms around his neck, bringing him closer to her own body. Sting complied, his own arms wrapped around Juvia's waist._

 _Zou twitched once. Twice when he heard a low but suggestive moan from his blue-haired student._

 _That's it._ Rule n°1 _._

" **Sonata** _," he said in a deep, smooth voice._

Swallowing a wrecked sob she silently reached out to touch his cheek, as if to make sure she wasn't dreaming. His skin was incredibly and pleasantly warm against her palm. Juvia started to breath quicker, her eyes watering. It wasn't a dream, this was reality. It wasn't a dream, this was reality. It wasn't a _goddamn_ dream, this was _fucking_ reality. Otherwise, Sting wouldn't be smiling that much despite still feeling the effects of her master's _Sonata_ , his wide grin wouldn't make her heartbeat quicken, she wouldn't be feeling so at ease and yet so distraught at the same time because he and Lector were here with her, she wouldn't be feeling this desire to be in his arms and never leave them for anything in the world, she wouldn't be feeling this burning urge to kiss him senseless until she was left gasping for air.

"Damn," her blonde mate grunted beside her. Since the three of them were lying on the large futon in her room, Juvia had figured that Sting would have probably argued with her master to be settled with her until night time, so she had taken the matter in her hands beforehand. His features were scrunched up in an expression of pain and he was massaging his temples with his fingers, where the effects of her master's _Sonata_ were weaker (due to Juvia massaging his head with her wonderful fingers) but still a little bit effective enough to paralyze the Dragon Slayer. The headache must have been more than painful, since he couldn't move without feeling light-headed. Still, Sting was smiling at her. "Just because I wanted to calm you down first and wasn't paying attention to him doesn't mean that he had to create goddamn shockwaves into my entire body through the water, I feel like I'm vibrating from everywhere. That old bastard..."

Juvia couldn't help but giggle weakly at his comment, despite the fact that he just insulted her master (she would have let it slide anyway, Master Zou had been kind of rude to him.). The sound of her giggle managed to make him smile wider and his blue eyes assessed the young woman, taking in her appearance and inhaling her sweet scent; he took in the puffed and tired eyes, the exhausted smile and – the most important things that made his smile drop instantly – the bandages and the anti-magic collar. Instead of feeling warm and at ease, Sting suddenly felt very cold as the guilt aimed at his throbbing throat. He swallowed with difficulty and averted his eyes, ashamed. _She hurt herself while trying to take that thing off because of me_ , the blonde thought bitterly, gritting his teeth.

The blue-haired woman immediately felt the shift in Sting's emotions and she reached out to cup his cheeks on reflex, worried. "Sting? What's wrong?" she asked him, trying to meet his eyes but he kept evading her inquiring gaze. Juvia bit her lips, letting a few tears escape her eyes. "Please, tell me what's wrong."

His expression looked somber and sadder, the total opposite of the joyous and relieved face he had when he had embraced her tightly in his arms. And she didn't like it one bit: they had just reunited after three weeks and a half even though they should have waited until the end of this week to be together again, so the only emotions they should both feel were happiness and relief. This anguished emotion that was squeezing her heart painfully would only serve to make her cry even more – which was something she didn't want. Absolutely not.

Instead of hearing his voice she felt his fingers onto her neck, where the bandages were wrapped, and she gasped silently. They slowly caressed the fabric up and down and from the left to the right, as if they were tracing the healing streaks Juvia had created herself out of sheer panic and despair. Then they slid downward, touching the anti-magic collar on her neck, and wrapped themselves around it.

"Sting...," Juvia trailed off.

"You hurt yourself," he cut her off, his voice gaining a sharp edge. "Because of that anti-magic collar. Because of me."

" _Sting Eucliffe, I feel so much guilt and anger in you," Zou said as he looked at the slumped and convulsive form of the blonde Dragon Slayer against Juvia with thoughtful eyes. He wasn't making any judgement on anyone but the master Water Mage was aware of Sting's involvement in his student's punishment; as a guild master, he had had to be impartial as much as it must have pained him to do so – taking Juvia's side without thinking would have had consequences and since she had also attacked one of her guild mates out of free will, the fact that she could have made it out without being punished would have angered a few. Even if Gray Fullbuster had been the first to cross the line by insulting her. "I can easily detect them by feeling the spikes of the water in your body and even though you are probably trying to ignore them, they just don't go away that easily. They won't."_

 _His gaze fell on the young blue-haired woman, who was trying to soothe her man by massaging his temples very slowly and only with her forefingers – the only way to ease the pain provoked by the shockwaves through the water inside someone's body, even though it would take hours to fade. Her dark blue eyes were more focused on Sting due to the bond they both had but flickered toward her master sometimes, as if to listen to whatever he had to say to him. The blonde had more problems meeting his gaze but, as Zou expected from him, really struggled to have his dark blue orbs glued to his still form. Determination also radiated from this young man, as bright as light. It was almost blinding, in a way._

" _It is expected to feel some self-hatred and guilt upon having to punish a loved one," Zou continued. "but here's the ugly side of being a guild master when you're in love: you just can't take one's side and be unfair to the other. No matter how hurtful it is, every guild master knows it. You have discovered it when you had to think of a fair punishment for Juvia and the other man she protected you from."_

 _Sting squinted, shifting a little bit so that his head was more comfortable on Juvia's lap. "Yeah," he grunted, hating the fact that he had been incapacitated so easily – he couldn't even sit up without feeling dizzy. Not that Juvia's lap was uncomfortable or anything, he actually rejoiced in having to finally lie on her after all this time. "Not exactly what I expected when I took over the position."_

" _There will be more to come. Juvia's punishment may have been the very first you had to give but it won't certainly be the only one. It is an example of what awaits you in the future, should you remain the Sabertooth guild master. Guilt is an emotion a guild master always has to deal with when it comes to having to act as such and not as a friend, because it means that you will have to take decisions that could hurt and cause great grief. The role of guild master shouldn't be taken this lightly, young one." The master Water Mage's expression became a little bit somber. "Try this: a guild master is like any father, he is the one who must protect and defend his children no matter what, whether it is from a legendary and powerful dragon or death itself. But he is also the one who is allowed to take the most drastic measures to every critical situation, the one who will always feel the most guilty about the consequences of these drastic measures and the one who will have the most trouble sleeping because he would keep remembering or hearing his children crying. Why do you think that all guild masters we know are quite aged? They all have experienced that kind of thing at one point in their life and must have experienced it again, so that's why they are chosen to be guild masters."_

" _I know all that!" Sting challenged, scowling at Zou._

" _Do you?" Zou countered._

 _The blonde opened his mouth to confirm his answer, but never spoke. He closed and opened his mouth many times, only to remain silent in the end. In fact, his gaze held a look of silent bewilderment and realization that Juvia understood all too well, for she had experienced this one time; her man may have an idea that being a guild master didn't only mean that strength was the sole important thing in a guild, but that didn't mean that he knew all the hardships, the consequences and the aftermath a guild master had to endure and face. After all, Sting Eucliffe was still so young and so new about all this._

Like a newborn tiger that knew nothing about the world, he was still ignorant about everything that a guild master was to face, endure and decide. **Face**. **Endure**. **Decide**. Sting was still so inexperienced in his position, even Juvia could see it. It was just so palpable that it hurt to see him so lost and confused.

" _You have to wonder if you have the will and enough of it to bear the title of guild master when times of despair will befall you, because when a situation will become hopeless, your friends and followers will turn to you for the next course of action. No matter what, it's always the leader who leads, who must have a plan and a back up plan, who must know what to do when the life of his comrades is at stake." Zou sighed heavily, closing his purple eyes. "If the guild master falls, then his followers fall with him. Life is but a giant chessboard on which everyone is gambling to live, whether it is fair or not – this, you must always remember."_

Sting took Juvia's soft hands in his, surprising the Water Mage, and brought her close enough so that their bodies wouldn't leave any space between them; one hand snaked around her right thigh to hook it round his hip, the other nestling her head with care. He put his forehead against hers, his eyes boring into hers. They looked so dull that she couldn't help but feel even more worried and anguished instead of being aroused in such position. Their usual and familiar spark that always managed to light her mood was now gone and she didn't like it. Oh no, she _didn't_.

"Almost four weeks went by without seeing each other, that alone should have been enough to drive us crazy," he murmured. His lips brushed against hers as he kept talking. "I don't even know how you and I managed to remain sane and sound during all this time; Dragon Slayers and their mates shouldn't be separated and yet we... _shit_. Fuck. I don't want it to happen once again. Never again!"

The last words were hissed silently, as if not to disturb Lector's sleep next to them, but what drew Juvia's worry was the pained expression on his handsome face – they'd been together for more than a month now and Sting had always worn a happy expression with a smile that never ceased to make her heart race. The blonde smashed his mouth against hers without any warning, kissed her roughly while crushing her body against his.

Somehow this kiss was so different from all the others they've had – rough and passionate, joyous and incredibly sad. It described Sting's inner turmoil and hers as well, it described what simple words wouldn't be enough to express and explain because the Dragon Slayer knew they'd be useless. Juvia knew that her boyfriend was a man of action, he had always favored showing his intentions with actions because they mattered more than just words. Words and actions were so different on many levels.

" _We almost lost sight of our path. We almost went crazy without each other... I missed you..."_

He bit her lip in his anguish. _Hard_. Very _hard_. The bluenette let out a slight gasp of pain, immediately swallowed by Sting's breath-taking kiss, but she didn't complain; if this was the way he needed to let it all out, then she shall let him. If this was the only way for him to let it all out, then she shall respond in kind. Her arms snaked around his neck, pulling him even more closer as she kissed him just as hard. She wasn't even going to complain about the bruises and the blood she'd lose, because they were part of the pain love always brought along. The pain was alright with her, as long she could finally be happy in the end because it was worth it.

" _How could you forgive me, Juvia? Could you even forgive me for putting you through this?"_

He gulped audibly, fighting the painful urge to cry – because it was just so tempting, now that he had her in his arms once again. Sting pushed her on her back, imprisoned her hands in his above her head to assume complete control of the situation. His heart was beating madly in his ribcage, in synch with her own heartbeat. They both panted as he pushed her long legs apart to settle between her thighs. His sight was getting blurred by the tears forming in his blue eyes, but he didn't care.

"Never again," he muttered. "Never again. Never again, never again, never again, never again, never again." He chanted those words like a mantra twice more, his forehead against hers. Sting gritted his teeth. "I have you. I don't want to lose what has become so precious to me because of some fucking punishment or because I had to act as a guild master." He looked down at Juvia, whose eyes so similar to his – he had never thought how they looked so alike but now... now they truly looked alike. – had watered due to the swirl of emotions that was overwhelming them. Her lips were swollen and bleeding a little. But gods, was she beautiful. "I need you. Dammit Juvia, I _need_ you more than air."

He felt her grip his hands tightly, her nails biting in his flesh. Sting didn't even flinch, for this pain was nothing compared to the one that had been constricting him for three weeks and a half. His gaze fell on the anti-magic collar around her neck. His eyes narrowed dangerously. _That damn thing_. Right. All this guilt and this self-hatred came from that thing tied to his mate, who shouldn't even be wearing it in the first place.

"It would be so simple to break that damn device," Sting said lowly. His teeth came to bite into the metallic device, but not too hard. It was so tempting, because he would be able to lick the tender skin of her neck, as if he wanted to heal her wounds by himself. One snap of his jaws and that was it. "You'd be free of that burden, Juvia. Screw that punishment, I've already disrespected the rules by coming to you and I don't care. I. Don't. Fucking. Care. They can't separate us."

A broken sob escaped her. She closed her watery eyes. "Sting..."

His name. _Her saying his name_. He had always loved it, this was music to his ears. The blonde let out a shaky sigh as his teeth grazed the swell of her ample bosoms, now that he was unbuttoning her blouse. "Say it again. Please," he begged, uncaring if he sounded pathetic. "Please."

" _Sting_..."

His hot tongue licked a trail of fire along the valley of her breasts, his hands played with the creamy mounds both expertly and roughly, making the lovely bluenette sigh in pleasure and breathe a little quicker. She arched against him, bucking her hips against his and he groaned slowly, waves of pleasure washing over him. Feeling that it wasn't enough, he bit her once again. Hard. " _Again_ ," he demanded harshly and he thrust into her, earning himself a throaty moan he enjoyed. "I want to hear you say my name, I want to hear you moan and scream it like before. But before that –"

The tightness in his pants was becoming incredibly painful, along with his guilt. Before all this shit, Sting Eucliffe had no idea that guilt could have such impact in his relationship with his mate – especially when he was partly responsible for her anguish. However, he was prepared and willing to fix this: the consequences of this punishment had created a sort of distance between them – even he had noticed how hesitant Juvia had been when she had seen him and Lector with Hoenn. While she did jump in his arms, it had taken her two entire minutes to do so when it should have taken less than a second. Sting had seen her tears, her sadness, had felt them even though he was away from her – he hated all this. He needed to make things right.

His fingers traced the dampness along her clothed clit and rubbed the entrance teasingly, causing Juvia to squirm and whimper under his torture. The blonde could hear her heartbeat, so wild and familiar because he hadn't listened to it for such a long time since last time, and he loved it; his fangs sank into the flesh of her stomach, creating yet another mark, while his fingers tugged on her panties to pull them down and throw the useless cloth behind.

" – I need to make sure that I can be forgiven. D-do I still have the right to desire you even after what I did to you? Do I still have the right to harbour those feelings for you? Do we still have a chance to have each other after all this shit?" He swallowed with difficulty, his tears now streaming down his cheeks. Sting felt her hands in his hair, as soothing as ever, but it didn't calm him down right away. Not this time. His arms wrapped themselves around her middle and he bit another patch of skin of her stomach, some tears falling. "Your master is right: I'm angry, I feel so much guilt, and all this because I had to do the right thing. But shouldn't have I done the right choice instead? Shouldn't have I taken your side, not just because you're my mate and I love you, but because I felt like it was both the right choice and the right thing to do? Damn it all, why is it so unfair to be impartial? Especially when the woman you love is the one who will be hurt in the end?"

He sucked a breath, screwing his eyes shut and breathing in Juvia's natural and hypnotizing scent. "I really hate my position right now, this isn't what I expected when I took over. I-I-I... I can't bring myself to hurt the woman I've come to love. No, I _can't_."

Sting started to shake in her embrace, making the bluenette wind her arms around his body to rock him back and forth. Her face was stained with tears she couldn't stop, but her eyes were still clear as she looked down at the man who had come back to her, the man who had disregarded the rules of her punishment to be reunited with her, the man who had cast his pride aside to prove that all rules shall be damned when it came to emotions –

The one man who just confessed to her.

It didn't register to her brain right away, because she still needed to calm him down. If he was disturbed, then she was disturbed as well and it wouldn't do anything good to both of them. Having sex right now wasn't going to solve anything, on the contrary: they needed to sort things out first, to let everything out in the open so they could fix what has been broken (trust, friendship and confidence.). And once those three concepts are finally rebuilded together, Sting and Juvia shall rise again, like the phoenix, as they'd become for more than a month before it was cracked.

She took a deep, shaky breath. "What we need is a spiritual journey," Juvia whispered, stroking Sting's wild hair. She sniffed, shaking her head a little. "A healing, spiritual journey. Together. You and I. That's what I would have suggested for us and that's what I'm suggesting right now: I _wanted_ you to come here, Sting. That's why I needed Gajeel and Lily to be away."

He didn't react much, didn't lift his head to stare up at her, but his arms did freeze – a sign that he was indeed listening to what she was saying. Juvia continued.

"You must have been... angry and so worried about me, I know. I felt it. But I just wanted you to come after me because I couldn't bear this situation any longer; the need to get away from the others, from Fairy Tail..." She bit her busted lips, frowning. It seemed so wrong and awkward to say it, but she couldn't just pretend to ignore the denial and truth any more: she had to get away from them, for some time at least, where she didn't want them to follow. "Master once told me, before sending me off in Fiore after those two years of training, that I could always find him and Hoenn whenever I feel like straying from my path. More than a master, more than a butler..." she trailed off, her misty eyes concentrating on the darkening sky. "... they were the only ones who knew me more than I know myself."

"I'm sorry for making you worried about me, Sting," she whispered to him sorrowfully, her fingers still stroking his hair in a soothing manner. "This wasn't my intention. What I wanted to get at was that spiritual journey I need to go with you. With Lector, Master and Hoenn. Because I'm not alone in this, you are in the same state and even though I've already forgiven you for putting us through this, there are things to sort out." She paused for a minute at least, letting Sting ponder about what she just said. Then she coaxed him to look at her, which he did slowly.

There were still tears in his eyes but the dull gaze that had been present was now gone, replaced by a gleam of hope shining in those dark blue orbs she had grown to love. Juvia attempted a small smile, cupping his cheeks.

"You're here, that's what matters. Don't you think, mate?"

"...right," he said slowly, blinking repeatedly. Then his eyes widened in realization as he finally grasped her words and he shifted to a sitting position on top of her. "You're right."

" _You're here, that's what matters."_

Why didn't he think of it sooner? Instead of breaking down in front of his beloved mate, he could've just reminded Juvia that he had purposely set out to join her; asking Gajeel about her whereabouts had been his idea, catching a train toward Spa Hosenka Town had been his idea and joining her with her master and that strange butler had been his idea. Sting had wanted to be with her and that was it. He growled lowly, clearing his watery eyes.

 _At least, I'm all out_ , he thought as he plopped back next to her on the futon. _I don't have to act tough, right?_ Juvia, now smiling brightly despite her puffy eyes, joined him. Sting caught his mate by the waist, holsted her so that she was lying on top of him – he missed feeling the warmth of her skin against his naked torso, that always managed to calm him down and even though he was itching to make love to her right now, the blonde Dragon Slayer just wanted to revel in her presence and touch without having sex right now. He did sigh in pleasure when Juvia nuzzled his neck, he did purr when she caressed his muscles, her ample bosoms rubbing against his skin and her naked... Gods, _she was naked_!

Clenching his teeth, Sting tried hard not to give in – his dragon was throbbing inside of him, begging to be released and ravage his mate. "Juv," he half-growled, half-whispered.

"Mmh?" she hummed in his ear.

 _And she's aware of that fact_. "Don't tempt me," he warned her sternly, closing his eyes. The dirty images that flashed through his mind at great speed weren't helping either and her lips and her strokes... she was slowly driving him crazy. "I might ravage you right here if you don't stop."

She giggled. "You _might_?" she repeated, suspicious and teasing.

His hand, which was previously stroking her hip, now cupped her firm ass and squeezed. _Hard_. Sting opened his eyes to stare up at her, exposing the barely restrained desire blazing in his heated gaze. "Fine," he said, smirking arrogantly. "I _will_ ravage if you keep provoking me in this state of undress." The blonde reached a hand to grab the back of her head so that their foreheads were touching. He slowly licked her swollen lips, earning him a small moan of pleasure from the bluenette, which made him smirk in delight. "That won't end well for you, Juv. You have _no idea_ how much I missed you during those three weeks; I will totally dominate you, you will be at my complete mercy and I –"

Sting stopped short when he watched Juvia getting rid of the blouse, exposing her body to him. She threw it behind her, still staring down at him with the same heated gaze. The sight was sinful. _Beautifully sinful_. The Dragon Slayer instantly knew he couldn't hold it any longer, for his sanity all but snapped.

"They better not disturb us," he growled as he crashed his lips on hers for a rough kiss, flipping them over so that he was on top. "To hell with it." He slacked his boxers down his hips, immediately thrusting forward.

" _You're here, that's what matters."_

 **Yes**. That was what will always matter in the end.

* * *

He didn't mean to pry, but Lector could find himself immensely relieved as he listened to the sounds of pleasure, his ear stuck against the wooden door. They hadn't noticed him slip past them quietly and, to be frank, the Exceed was glad they hadn't; Sting and Juvia had been putting up a front instead of expressing themselves after talking with the Water Mage's master. It could have just been a matter of stubborn pride, because the blonde wasn't one to cry easily (just when his dearest friend's life was in danger. Or when he had originally thought that Lector was dead. And especially when he'd been so relieved and thankful to see that his furry friend was safe and sound.). But when he heard those quiet sobs from both mates inside Juvia's room, Lector knew that Sting's emotions couldn't be held up any longer, so he had finally broken down. _Better sooner than later_ , the red cat thought as he strolled away. Because he didn't know if his friend could have handled the loneliness any longer, even though this was Sting Eucliffe. _He's still human, after all. And a man in love._

Discovering his feelings about Juvia had been a pleasant surprise for Lector – there was now a woman worth his might and attention who had earned his loyalty, his respect and his heart. The Exceed had heard that confessing his love to someone meant swallowing his pride, bracing himself for either rejection or acceptation... well, that was a stressful moment for someone in love. However, things had turned out for the better after Juvia Lockser decided to move on and try a relationship with Sting – ignoring the bond with a Dragon Slayer could have turned sour and very stressful for both mates, Juvia's friends from Fairy Tail wouldn't have liked it at all. At least, Natsu Dragneel, Gajeel Redfox and Wendy Marvel would have understood, for they were Dragon Slayers as well.

"I take it they're finally letting it all out," Lector heard from the kitchen. He lifted his head to see a pair of golden eyes looking down at him, solemn and gentle. Hoenn nodded at him, putting a plate of fried fish on the table. "About damn time. I was wondering when they'd finally break down, 'cause that brave and courageous front they both put up earlier was kind of pissing me off."

Lector was wary of that butler, Hoenn. There was something mysterious and... unsettling about him under that relaxed behaviour of his – he couldn't put a finger on it. From what he'd learnt from their first meeting with Zou, Hoenn had raised and trained Juvia with his special martial arts for the two years she spent with them. The man seemed easy-going, funny and quite cool despite his crude comments about spying on Juvia and Sting when they were having sex (he still didn't know how he managed to escape Sting's deadly blows unscathed when he bluntly told him he had played Peeping Tom on them, the butler was quite agile and elusive.).

The red Exceed nodded in agreement as he jumped onto the table, his stomach growling in hunger. "Sting's been like this for the past three weeks," Lector mumbled, his downcast expression. "Nothing could really cheer him up and he'd bury himself in his work and missions. It was really sad and tense for a long while, so I'm happy they can finally let it all out."

"You tried everything, huh? Reminds me when I went to fetch Lil' Blue at the train station; her expression was..." Hoenn tried not to snarl hatefully in front of the young Exceed, but his golden eyes seemed to flash dangerously, startling the cat who was enjoying his meal. "And that thing tied around her neck... dammit, how could they do something like this? She loves them as a family!"

The butler growled as he slammed a hand against his forehead, eyes shut and his features scrunched up in visible frustration. Lector might not know the man very well, but it was pretty clear that he cared a lot about Juvia. Something that might unnerve one possessive Dragon Slayer.

Lector swallowed the mouthful of fried fish. "How... how was she when you went to fetch her?" he asked in a small voice.

"Horrible. She looked horrible. Far from the cheerful and always glowing young woman she'd become when Fairy Tail took her under its wing. You see, back when she still hadn't had a good grasp of her power, getting Lil' Blue to smile had proven to be the most difficult thing to ever accomplish: and since she had never seen how beautiful the sky could get when the rain clouds are away, Lil' Blue had quickly become an indesirable outcast to the society. That's pretty rare for someone so young to be able to affect the weather, you know. The _weather_ , kitty cat. Not even Ol' Zou can do what she does." A brief silence took place between the Exceed and the butler. Hoenn faced Lector, his golden hues piercing through his skull. "Her guild broke her trust and confidence by tying that anti-magic collar around her neck, it's not gonna be easy to fix this. But if that dragon of hers –"

" _Sting_ ," Lector corrected hotly, frowning at the man. "His name is _Sting_ , you two-coloured freak!"

"– can manage to bring back _that_ Lil' Blue when even I really can't because her smiles aren't genuine, I might think that he's the right one for her and not that bad of a guy. Yeah, I might think that he's even more worth her love and attention than that Ice Mage," Hoenn finished with a humming sound. He blinked slowly, as if realizing he had said something quite... encouraging about the White Dragon Slayer.

Which didn't go unnoticed by Lector, who smiled smugly, arms crossed. "Well, of course: Sting is the be –"

He was abruptly cut off by a loud, lustful scream of pleasure, immediately followed by an animalistic growl that could only belong to the Dragon Slayer. Lector shuddered, surprised and wide-eyed while the butler grinned slyly. Just like that, the atmosphere seemed to change completely, as if he and the Exceed weren't having a serious conversation about the situation the Water Mage has been thrown into. _Really, those two have a great timing_ , Lector thought with a sweat-drop.

"Damn rabbits," Hoenn snickered, folding his tattooed arms – _tattooed_ , for God's sake! Wasn't he a butler? – over his torso. He blew one of his bangs, eyes gleaming. "He hasn't been here for one day and he's already making her scream. Are they addicts?"

"Hey!" Lector protested strongly. "Watch your mouth, you're talking about my friends!"

"They'll be at until next morning, that I'm sure of it."

"I'm warning you, two-coloured freak!"

But as the Exceed kept bickering with the butler about Sting and Juvia's libido, there was one master Water Mage who was deep in thought. This whole ordeal with Sting Eucliffe added some... adjustments to their plans; since Juvia had already requested him and his furry friend to come along with them to the snowy mountains after spending some days in Spa Town Hosenka, Zou couldn't really refuse. The young guild master was a strong-willed, stubborn one of nature who would have followed them all the way to the mountains, even if the master Water Mage had refused this favor. If Zou had understood the basics of that peculiar thing called 'Dragon mating' when Sting gave explanations of that phenomenon, the likelihood of seeing the blonde all over his precious student until she was ready to go back was damn high.

The Dragon Slayer was enamoured with Juvia and she with him – it was so obvious that it was so annoying to even think about it. The bond between him and Juvia was just too deep, too hardened and complicated to be brushed off just like that; if their emotions were linked and always shared through that bond, then separating them would cause him problems. And that Dragon Slayer would think of a nasty payback, should he try something.

But again... it was Sting Eucliffe who had come to Juvia first. As if he knew he was the one she needed the most right now. If he could make her smile and laugh despite her miserable situation until everything gets back to normal and that abomination around her neck is off, then Zou will have to have faith in him.

 _Hm... things are going to get quite interesting for the next weeks_ , he thought, sipping his green tea. At least, maybe he won't have to deal with some Fairy Tail mages. Zou just had to hope they won't show up in his house, barging and destroying everything.

* * *

[ **The first part of the punishment, third week,** _"Day Five"_.]

"You've made a rather good impression on master Zou, Sting," Juvia commented, a fond smile playing on her lips as she watched him wolf down his food. "I was terrified he'd drown you but somehow... you overcame his expectations.

The blonde paused in his meal, swallowed the food in his mouth and sent her a cocky smirk. "I told you I'd handle it, didn't I? It's not like I was going to let someone else separate you from me. Besides," Sting added as he leaned toward the blue-haired woman, making her blush. His dark blue eyes held her captive from his penetrating, heated gaze. "I made a promise to your master. You better remember it, Siren."

Her heartbeat picked up at that, causing Juvia to smile gleefully. How could she forget his words from yesterday, when he confronted her master? This had been an epic speech she would remember all her life, as long as she got to spend it by his side.

" _So I'm still new to this. News flash, I already know that," Sting growled as he forced himself to sit up straight, despite the effects of Zou's Sonata pulsing through his body like shockwaves. He glared fiercely at Zou, whose purple eyes seemed to pierce through him. "And I'm working on it. What makes a leader? What makes a king? What makes a guild master? I've wondered about all this when I chose to take over the position of Sabertooth guild master. It has to be similar qualities that I'm currently working on to become what I'm supposed to be to Juvia and my friends at Sabertooth; someone who knows how to take the right decisions and the right choices when the situation requires it. But that's not enough. No, I need to be the kind of man to know what would and should matter to me and my friends first so I'll know how to protect them – Juvia being first," he claimed, snaking an arm around said Water Mage's waist to pull her against him. She didn't protest but looked up at him, both awed and curious. "I may be a guild master but I'm a Dragon Slayer to begin with. And a Dragon Slayer will_ always _protect what is more important and precious to him, from everything and even the world if he has to. Juvia will be there to help me if I'm losing it, she will be there to help me getting back on my feet if my friends fail at doing it. Because I want her to be there for me, just as I'll always be there for her."_

 _Sting dipped his head, his blonde bangs shielding his eyes in the process. "So that's why... that's why..."_

 _To say that everyone was surprised by his next action would be a stupid understatement. No, everyone was stupefied when Sting Eucliffe bowed his head low on the carpet in front of Zou Arashikage, his hands supporting his weight._

" _...that's why I want you to put your faith in me. I will make Juvia happy, this I swear on my life!"_

Juvia came back to earth when she felt his teeth sink into the flesh of her left shoulder, making her jump in surprise. Sting chuckled darkly, obviously enjoying himself. "Daydreaming about me, Siren?" he whispered in her ear, nuzzling his face against her shoulder.

The bluenette ran a hand into his wild, blonde hair, sighing contentedly and biting her lips. The other hand caressed the right side of his face lovingly. "Yeah," she admitted. "You swallowed your pride in front of my master, you bowed your head in front of him... this calls for respect, Sting."

" _And_?" he pressed, biting her ear. His fingers were already stroking her thighs, creating lines of fire along her smooth skin. "Isn't there anything else you'd like to tell me?"

Juvia shuddered, losing focus because of the desire igniting her senses and warming her insides. "I got you, Sting." She breathed hard as she snaked her arms around his neck, coming onto his lap. The blonde welcomed her hug eagerly, his own arms wrapping themselves around her middle to hold her tight. "I got you, I got you, I got you. You're ready to sacrifice yourself to make me happy, and I want to return the favor," she said with conviction, not even bothering to fight her tears of joy. "You won't be alone in this, I promise."

Sting's dark blue eyes widened in surprise as he listened to her. Was she referring to...?

"If only I had known sooner that my life would be tied to yours one day, that you'd be willing to give the love I've always wanted from Gray Fullbuster, that you'd cast your pride aside to bow your head in front of my master, that you'd be the one to make me discover a whole new world, I would have hunted you down to make you mine." She chortled happily, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Where have you been all this time, Sting Eucliffe?"

His fingers were starting to dig into the bare flesh of her hips. "Juvia...," Sting tried to say, but the name was constricted in his throat. What she was saying was...just too emotional.

"I _got_ you, Sting," she repeated strongly, nuzzling her face in his neck. "I got you, I got you, I got you, I got you..."

And she whispered the words he longed to hear – those same words he desired to hear since last night, with passion and speaking the truth. Those words that made him feel so whole and peaceful at the same time.

Shock could be visible on Sting's face as he processed the words Juvia has just whispered to him, stupor reflecting in his eyes. _This wasn't a joke_ , she meant it. She meant it, she meant it. She wasn't lying, he could tell: her heartbeat was wild and erratic, her eyes were shining with so much emotion that he could cry.

They were supposed to go out today, buy some supplies with an energetic Hoenn and enjoy the spa, but instead, Sting Eucliffe had other plans with his Water Mage; she couldn't even protest when he carried her toward the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind them.

* * *

[ **First part of the punishment, third week,** _"Day Six"_.]

" _Out_ ," Zou demanded firmly, his purple eyes flashing dangerously at the two lovers, who just blinked innocently at him. "You've been having sex in this house for two whole days, I think that's more than enough. That's more than I can take, so off with you two in the town." He waved his hand at them, walking away toward the dojo.

Juvia frowned, confused and blushing madly. "U-um, master..."

Zou shook his head. "No, Juvia. You two need fresh air."

"Is it because we were having sex in the dojo?" Sting asked bluntly, smirking broadly and folding his arms behind his head in the process.

Juvia almost stopped breathing, mortified. Needless to say, her mate had always been this blunt and shameless about his antics. If he didn't want to beat around the bush, then he won't. Not even in front of her master. When Zou suddenly stopped walking, the bluenette took it as their cue to leave; she grabbed Sting's hand and pulled him along with her, trying to block out his laughter.

"I can't believe you just said that," Juvia hissed at him once they were out in the streets, her face still flushed and cerulean bangs hiding her eyes. She crossed her arms and refused to face Sting, who just rolled his eyes at her attitude.

"I didn't hear you complaining, which means that you were just fine with that," he stated.

"I'm not!" she retorted, whirling around to glare at him.

The blonde merely raised a skeptical eyebrow while smirking at her. "Oh? You sure about that, Juv?"

The two lovers held a staring match for a whole minute during which the Water Mage tried her best not to succumb to the temptation of kissing and touching Sting – she'd have their bond as mates to thank for that! When Juvia sighed and closed her eyes in defeat, the Dragon Slayer chuckled in triumph before pulling her close to him, not leaving space between them.

Sting cupped her cheek, staring down at her with a loving, passionate look. "I've never had the intention to hold my part of the punishment," he whispered to Juvia, surprising her as she opened her eyes to look up at him. He put his forehead against hers, crushing her soft body tight against his. "It may be dishonest but Master Makarov has to understand how the Dragon mating works; you would have been very sick because of my prolonged absence had I not chosen to hunt you down to Spa Town Hosenka."

She was confused, very confused. The blonde seemed to guess her hesitation, so he went on. "All these times we've parted ways because we didn't want anybody to know about us couldn't have affected our health: we've always made sure to go look for each other at least twice a week, that's enough to remain in good health for some time." He pecked her lips, rejoicing in her dazed expression. "If anything, I would have kidnapped you without any regret."

Oh yes, Sting Eucliffe would have and Juvia Lockser didn't doubt it. When was the last time he lied to her about them? He had always kept his promises, whether they were meant to be broken or not. He had always been there to reassure her, especially at the aftermath of their first time when they've had sex to become bonded as mates – Juvia couldn't count the times he had patiently dried her tears when she had been ready to face him, the guilt and shame almost eating her out. _And now, look at us_ , she mused as she let out a quiet chortle, winding her arms around Sting's neck to press herself against him.

"So don't you dare giving up on us or on living, okay? I'm sure everything will work out just fine. After all," he trailed off, his smile growing lovingly. "I got you as well. I got you."

Unable to voice her thanks, Juvia nodded with a bright smile. Sting smiled right back, then pulled her along with him as he started to walk toward one of the few clothing stores in Spa Town Hosenka. He spouted something about getting new clothes for her, for Lector and for himself, and looked interestedly from right to left.

 _How does he do that?_ Juvia wondered with a blush, staring at their intertwined hands. Just by saying some words, Sting managed to make her forget about her ordeal and the blasted anti-magic collar she'd have to wear for less than six weeks from now on – unless Master Makarov decided otherwise. What had become a recurrent habit to try clawing at her neck to tear that thing off was now forgotten: her fingers no longer itched to scratch her skin now that Sting had held them in his, both warm and reassuring. _You're not alone in this, Siren_ , he had told her in the midst of their carnal embrace, his lips hovering over hers. _I'm with you. Together, we'll overcome this. Don't you ever forget that! We don't have to act tough, right?_

Had he always been like this? Especially with Lector first?

The couple finally entered a clothing store selling about everything – clothes, accessories, which made Juvia's eyes sparkle like sapphires and she dashed further inside, causing the blonde to snicker in amusement before following her.

From what he knew about his mate, Juvia Lockser, she loved wearing hats – seeing her without one was kind of... _weird_. She was gorgeous with or without a hat, but if that accessory was missing, Sting wouldn't recognize his girlfriend. She was kind of different without a hat to complement her attire so, with that thought in mind, he looked around the store for any hats they had to sell – thus forgetting that he needed another jacket to buy to his collection.

He was attracting some – unwanted – attention from the women inside the store; usually he'd have sent them a flirting smirk and wink, seduced one pretty girl to hook up with later on and then threw her away once he got what he wanted from her. But now that he committed himself to Juvia after having mated with her, he found himself unable to appreciate looking at other women – unsurprisingly. Baislogia had told him that no other woman would be able to have his attention once he'd found the one woman whom he'll spend his life with, and now that he'd found Juvia, he couldn't even bring himself to make crude comments on women and their body. Sting smirked, putting his hands in his pockets as he walked through rows of clothes.

Unfortunately, that didn't mean he was immune to _their_ comments:

"Is that Sting Eucliffe from Sabertooth?"

"He's so handsome!"

"Do you think he's still single?"

"Oh, what if he looks my way and thinks I'm worth his attention?"

The blonde Dragon Slayer sweat-dropped, eyebrow twitching. Sometimes, being one of the most handsome men in Fiore when you were secretly in a relationship didn't stop fan-girls from going after you, lust and obscene desire flaring in their eyes – that was almost scary, now that he thought about it. One glance toward Juvia assured him that she was fine for now, no creeps ogling her and no jealous fan-girls to threaten her to leave him alone. His gaze followed the alluring curves that white blouse had to offer – from her ample bust to those long, slender legs with this creamy white skin. She had chosen to wear small black boots with heels, which left more skin in the open for everyone to see. _Especially creeps_ , he thought as he scowled darkly. He was about to go to her when he noticed something above her head.

Hats. Top hats. Quite fancy-looking that Juvia will definitely love. There were tons of them. Sting smiled, walking toward the blue-haired beauty unnoticed. He was still silent when he plucked a black top hat with a midnight blue knot and strip around it, feeling quite satisfied.

"Here," he said proudly, placing the top hat on top of her head.

She blinked, turning around. "Huh?" She lifted a hand to touch the hat, surprised. She took it off to look at it with blinking eyes. The top hat was definitely an eye candy, something that only aristocrats would wear. Slowly, a bright smile found its way to her lips. That's right, she hadn't been wearing hats for quite some time ever since she committed herself to a relationship with Sting Eucliffe. _He remembered_ , she thought gleefully, putting the top hat back on her head. "I love it!"

The blonde folded his arms over his torso, proud of himself. "Thought so," he said, smirking. Then he leaned toward her, making the Water Mage take two steps back until her back hit the wall. Sting followed suit and put his hands on the wall, effectively trapping his mate on the spot. She was still smiling, though there was an adorable blush spreading on her cheeks. "How about a kiss to thank me for those hats?" he whispered, teasing her hormones with his deep voice.

A kiss? Sure, why not? But...

In _public_? Where there were many eyes turned toward them? Where their relationship would be finally exposed to the world?

Juvia stared hard and long into Sting's eyes, her blush already fanning. Even though he was still smirking seductively, she could tell he wasn't joking about it; he would have burst out laughing by now if it were a stupid joke. Maybe he had had enough of meeting in secret as if their relationship was some sort of taboo, maybe he was tired of having to keep pretending he didn't have someone when it was clearly the opposite, maybe he was sick of being that flirting Sting Eucliffe from Sabertooth.

If he was being serious about them together, then he truly was serious about making it official. To the world, to their friends and, most importantly, to themselves.

"Are you ready for this?" she asked in a whisper, her hands coming to rest on his naked torso and caress his abs.

Sting hummed in agreement. "Are you?" he shot back, whispering as well.

Juvia sighed in bliss when his body filled the very small space between them. His forehead came to rest on hers, his eyes never straying. "There will be no turning back." Her hands traveled all the way up to his face, stroking the smooth skin she knew she'll always be the only one to do so. "No regrets, no change of heart – nothing."

"You're _mine_ , Juvia. As much as I'm yours. So to hell with all the fuckers who don't agree with us being together." Sting slowly licked her plump lips, earning him a small moan of pleasure, and grabbed a handful of her cerulean hair to hold her like this. "Let's do it. I'm tired of all the secrecy, I'm sick of having to put you and I, our relationship, in the shadows because some guys in your guild still hold a grudge against Sabertooth. Let it out, Baby, let it out."

Onto this day, citizens from Spa Town Hosenka could witness something truly amazing, but still surprising; two mages coming from two different guilds, once rivals to the bitter end until all was settled in the Grand Magic Games, sealed their relationship in public for the first time in a searing, rough make-out session in a clothing store.

 _Let It Out, Baby, Let It Out._

Even secrets some people want to keep silent until they were buried with them into the tomb can't go on without being told at least once in life.

* * *

[ **First part of the punishment, end of the third week** , _"Day Seven"_.]

"Say, Juvia," Lector wondered aloud, his eyes looking up to the blue-haired Water Mage who was holding him in her arms. Dark blue eyes looked down at the red Exceed, loving and gentle. "What's in that package in your room?"

Sting, who was in the process of wolfing down his eggs and bacon, paused to turn toward his mate, an eyebrow raised in question. Juvia's eyes lit up in recognition. "Ah, this? Just winter coats, boots and gloves. For the three of us." When all they did was looking at her blankly, she giggled and went on to explain. "You know, Master Zou likes travelling to the snowy mountains from time to time. That's why he hardly lives here: the only times he comes down is to enjoy the hot springs in Spa Town Hosenka." Swiftly, she snatched one pancake from Sting's plate and bit on it, who protested loudly with a ' _Hey! You've got yours, don't touch mine!_ '. She blew him a raspberry, teasing. "So we'll be going to the mountains in quite a bit."

The blonde grimaced, his eyes widening in mock stupor. "Leaving this town and going into the cold, really? Is your master kind of crazy?" he asked, annoyance dripping his tone as he shoved a mouthful of eggs in his mouth.

The bluenette bonked him in the head, frowning. "You might want to keep it down, Sting. That's my master you're talking about." Juvia sighed, then patted his back when Sting started coughing. She didn't want him to strangle himself with his food and die, she loved him _way_ too much. "It's just that snow is water in another form – in other terms, another field of expertise for us Water Mages." She smiled fondly, feeling nostalgic. She could clearly remember her younger self playing in the snow, trying to solidify the water under the freezing temperature in order to build a snowman. That had been funny. "Master Zou feels more comfortable in an environment where water is everywhere, so do I."

 _You used to play in the snow, huh_? Sting thought as he looked at her faraway gaze and her nostalgic smile. For a few seconds, he wondered what it must feel like; was it cold? Was it cool? Was it... amusing? He coughed one last time, cleared his strained throat and took a large gulp of air as he let himself being embraced by the lovely bluenette, whose smile will always make his heart skip one beat before speeding up.

"Please, come with me!" Juvia exclaimed, hope shining brightly in her eyes. "You'll like it, I swear!"

Could he say no to her, especially when he traveled all the way to the west? The Dragon Slayer chuckled, stroking her backside toward her ass.

Lector tried to squeeze himself out of the pressed bodies, which he succeeded, and breathed. "But why the mountains?" he asked, panting. "Couldn't he have chosen a forest or something? There's water in a forest."

"And most importantly, life as well," Juvia added, attempting to snatch another pancake from Sting's plate, but he deftly caught her wrist in his hand this time. She tried with her other hand – same result. The Water Mage pouted and puffed her cheeks, but Sting didn't appear fazed as he glared at her. "Plants do need water to grow and live, right? If we use our Water magic, that could cause some serious damages to the forest; water could be drained if we want to, it could – _all right, Honey, I won't try again!_ – severely salvage any living being." Juvia sighed and relaxed, seemingly giving up on snatching her mate's food. She smiled at the Exceed. "See? Forests would grow back one day, but it will take so much years."

"I see," Lector muttered, his eyes widening in understanding.

"Huh. Not as stuck up as I thought," Sting huffed, holding Juvia's wrists in one hand and taking one pancake to bite on it, earning him another adorable pout. The blonde winked mockingly at her and swallowed. "At least he's not just a philosopher, but a protector of nature and life. Would have never imagined such thing."

Juvia smiled widely at him. "So, does your respect for him go up?"

"No," he answered bluntly.

An amused chortle escaped her. "That's what I thought."

A few hours later, Juvia dragged Sting and Lector to Hosenka's Ryokan to enjoy the hot spring; the water here held healing properties everyone could benefit from – something Juvia had been taught by Zou himself. If she could concentrate hard on trying to save one's life instead of taking it, she could use another property of Water magic. Water healing was one of the most difficult techniques to learn and even excellent Water Mages had trouble trying to use it – one had to be gifted with it. Zou himself had once told her he couldn't use the water healing technique.

This won't be easy once she gets her powers back, but Juvia was all the more willing to get back to her current level. Making up for these nine weeks without magic was going to be a pain but, if Sting was willing to help her out, then she won't have anything to fear. Especially not after they publicly officialized their relationship (though Juvia was a bit thankful not to have reporters rushing to her with questions at once, that didn't mean they weren't going to show up at some point; it may be tomorrow or right after the end of her punishment.).

Making her way toward the hot spring, Juvia couldn't help the goofy grin on her lips and the blush spreading on her cheeks. _Official_ , their relationship was official. _Finally_. And she'd been so worried and anxious about everyone's reaction at first that she hadn't been able to think that some people might support them – Mirajane, for example, might finally come to her senses and appreciate what she's been feeling and living with Sting ever since they got together in secrecy. Lisanna and Levy could be told as well... even Lucy, Erza and Cana, if Juvia felt like it. It wasn't like they had really done something, albeit being very nosey.

The blue-haired woman penetrated inside the onsen, already feeling the hot steam of the water on her skin, and smiled as she walked in view. Sting was alone in the water – Lector had gone to sleep in their room, having enjoyed the water a bit too much for his taste –, leaning back with his elbows to steady himself, a relaxed expression plastered on his handsome features. He had his eyes closed to enjoy the warmth. Juvia bit her lip as her eyes reveled in his muscles, rippling in the water with some droplets slowly trickling down his torso. A warm sensation washed over her, heating her body at once, and she let out a shaky breath. _Damn hormones_.

A lecherous, seductive smirk slowly curved his mouth. "I can smell you, Darling," he said in a smooth voice, sending pleasant shivers down her back. He opened one eye to look at Juvia, where she could see the desire pooling in this blue orb – it was so intense that she could feel herself panting for air. Her heart, her body, her soul craved him – were craving him right now. And he could feel it as well, for he motioned her to come closer with a finger. "Come. Don't leave me hanging all by myself."

Juvia gulped, her heartbeat picking up. _Gods_ , he was so dreamy. And who was she to refuse him?

She didn't notice when her towel left her, leaving her body completely exposed to Sting's hungry eyes. She couldn't care less, her body was acting on its own. She felt the water on her skin as she marched toward him, holding his heated and lustful gaze with her own, even though it raked over her like a falcon eyeing its prey. She felt his hands on her hips, pulling her flush against him and awakening her instincts, and welcomed his rough kiss happily.

Sting and Juvia might have forgotten that they were in a hot spring – a public place, which was even more alarming – and the fact that they didn't seem to care would have been even more disconcerting. However, the idea of doing something naughty in a public place was very appealing, especially when said lovers had been separated for three weeks. The need to get together in an intimate embrace after living separatively for quite some time couldn't be restrained any longer when it concerned a Dragon Slayer and his mate; making love five or six times a week would be satisfying. For a while.

He squeezed her ass possessively, earning himself a small moan of pleasure, before trailing a hand down her thigh to hook it around his hip. His lips left hers, leaving a small trail of saliva between them, then ghosted over the obstacle around her neck. He groaned, bucking his hips. The blonde was itching to bite her mating mark under the anti-magic collar, thus itching to tear it off Juvia's neck. It would be so easy to claw it off but, like she claimed, he was willing to wait until the end.

 _Hm_. That hot spring actually reminded her of an exercise Master Zou had taught her years ago; being a Water Mage meant that she could manipulate her element to her will, becoming one with it. But after having seen how unique her ability to actually _turn into water_ itself really was, the master Water Mage had proceeded to teach her how to breathe underwater. Not that many Water Mages were all able to do this, but Zou had always told her this:

" _You really are one of a kind, young Juvia. You might actually be the first one to turn your body into your own element... yes. Maybe the only one to be able to do something like this."_

Feeling bold, Juvia licked the droplets on his torso, making Sting growl in pleasure. He grabbed a handful of her cerulean hair with one hand, stroking her thigh hooked around his hip with the other. "Mmmh... can I try something, Honey?" she asked, teasing the nipple with the tip of her tongue and caressing his muscles.

Sting purred, but gave a growl as an answer to whatever she had in mind. He felt her smile against his skin before she kissed and licked her way down.

"Let's see if I can still hold my breath for much more time without my powers."

Before the blonde could voice a question, she disappeared underwater. Before he could understand what she was implying, he could feel soft hands taking a hold of his throbbing member. Before he could even protest, he felt her tongue and mouth, and all Sting Eucliffe could do was throw his head back, close his eyes and moan in pleasure.

"Damn, Darling... don't stop..."

"...Who is 'Darling', Sting Eucliffe?"

 _What?_

He straightened himself jerkily, utterly surprised and wide-eyed. No, no, no, not _again_! Who the hell was it this time? The blonde tried his best to look nonchalant, despite the fact that his girlfriend was giving him one hell of a blowjob, and looked at the entrance.

Only to almost let out a curse.

Silver hair, a cool gaze and a cold attitude that was way too familiar for his taste – because this man was madly in love with his girlfriend and would start a scene if he knew where she was and what she was doing at the moment. Since the news of Sting's fight with Gray Fullbuster hadn't spread to Lamia Scale, there was no way that Lyon Vastia, Gray Fullbuster's former comrade, would know anything about his relationship with Juvia. Nonetheless, the fact that he was here was a big problem and to be honest with himself, Sting wanted him gone so that he could ravage his blue-haired woman in this hot spring. But _really_? _Him_ , _here_? _Really_?

 _Damn it_. The blonde shivered and bit back a throaty growl when her tongue licked him long and slow. Lyon slid into the water, sighing in pleasure with a content smile. "It's a surprise to see you here, Sting," the Ice Mage remarked politely, leaning back onto the edge of the pool. "Not that I'm complaining, but I thought you'd be busy with work back at Sabertooth. Taking some vacation? You're right to do so."

"Yeah," Sting answered stifly, sweating. He swiftly glanced down at Juvia, biting his lip to prevent growls and moans of pleasure to slip through. Damn, this was so good and his body agreed with him. Now if he could just get rid of that nuisance of a Ice Mage to enjoy his treat to the fullest... "I needed that. But what are _you_ doing here?"

Lyon opened one eye to gaze at him. "Glad you asked. I'm here because I needed to cool off a bit..." Then his cheeks reddened a bit and a goofy, sickeningly sweet smile appeared on his face. "... and because I wish to see Juvia-chan ~!" he exclaimed joyously. "I went to ask Mirajane-san if she happened to know where she might be, and she told me that Juvia was spotted in Spa Town Hosenka recently, so I directly jumped into a train to come here. Aaah, now if I can cross paths with her –"

 _What?_ "Stop your fucking fantasies about Juvia, Lyon. That's not gonna happen!" Sting snapped before he could control himself, glaring harshly at the Ice Mage.

" _No regrets, no change of heart – nothing."_

Lyon sobered up, a shocked look on his face. "Excuse me?" he asked, confused.

"Ah, shut up," the blonde growled, now panting because of the waves of pleasure washing over him like crazy. However, they stopped almost at once when he couldn't feel the delicious sensation of Juvia's mouth around his shaft. She had felt his annoyance and irritation instead of the pleasure and bliss, which must have tickled her curiosity.

That's also why she surfaced before Sting and Lyon, her breathing even and not appearing like she'd been underwater, holding her breath; with her in view, the blonde instantly forgot about the silver-haired man standing just a few feet away from them, shock now covering his whole face as he stared at the naked form of Juvia (was it some kind of dream come true? If so, then Sting would have to wipe out that scene from his mind. _Permanently_.), dazed. Incensed, the Dragon Slayer swiftly snaked his arms around the Water Mage to pull her tight against him, thus covering her body and preventing her from turning around to involuntarily show the fan-boy over a 'piece of heaven'. Juvia looked up at Sting, confused and startled, but cupped his face with both hands.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" she asked, immediately worried.

"J-Juvia-chan?" Lyon called, still shocked. "Is that _really_ you?"

 _No way!_ Juvia's dark blue orbs widened in surprise and, slowly, turned her head to look over her shoulder – somehow, she was hoping she had heard wrong, because there was _no way in hell_ she and Sting were being interrupted by Lyon. Unfortunately, her doubts were confirmed as she stared back at Gray's 'brother', whose eyes couldn't mask the shock and surprise he was feeling... and mostly, the rising sadness. Oh, no. No, no, no, no.

"A-ah, don't look at me!" Juvia exclaimed, turning back toward Sting to hide herself. Her mate was more than happy to oblige, snarling angrily at the Ice Mage as he grabbed his towel to cover Juvia's body. "What are you doing here?!"

"I-I-I-I... you... Sting..." Lyon was stuttering, his eyes still wide. And it seemed his brain was going to black out soon enough from all the rush of informations he was getting right now; Sting Eucliffe and his sweet, beautiful Juvia Lockser, in a hot spring... naked... _naked_...

Sure enough, his mind finally gave out and his body started to sink into the hot, steaming water after he seemingly passed out, due to obvious shock. Sting stared at the Ice Mage, blinking slowly and his anger being replaced by bewilderment. Juvia, however, was the first to freak out.

"Sting, he's going to drown himself!" she shrieked, wrenching herself out of his arms.

"Ah, shit!" the guild master cursed, rummaging through the water to get a hold of the Ice Mage. "He chose the best time to pass out after ogling you!" He clenched his jaws, pulling him out of the pool. And here he thought he was going to have one damn good time with Juvia once again... The blonde looked murderous as he heaved one of Lyon's arms over his shoulder after putting his towel around his waist, hooked his own arm around the Ice Mage's waist and let Juvia take the other one. Together, they proceeded to take the poor Lamia Scale Mage out of the hot spring.

Sting couldn't believe their luck. Was someone laughing at him up in there? "Great," he grunted sarcastically, eyebrows twitching uncontrollably. "Now we have to deal with a stupid fan-boy with us because he was dumb enough to get here in the first place. _Just_. _Great_." He growled, his throbbing member demanding attention.

The Water Mage herself was a bit upset, despite her genuine concern for Lyon Vastia – the man had practically walked in on them! Damn, how crazy was that? Having sex in a hot spring and getting caught by her fan-boy. She cleared her throat, earning Sting's attention. "U-um, we'll make it up," she said hesitantly.

"Of course we will. But that doesn't mean I won't beat him up for ogling you."

"Sting –"

The blonde scowled even more, if possible. "I think I should start breaking his bones right now, while he's still unconscious. That will definitely make me feel a tad better."

" _Sting_!"

That wasn't what they both had in mind. No, absolutely not. They should be spending time as a couple, preparing themselves because they were bound to leave for the snowy mountains soon enough – they should be enjoying themselves because they were finally reunited after three weeks separated. Once they reached their room, Juvia sighed heavily as she watched Sting drop Lyon onto a futon with a growl, next to Lector, who was sound asleep. This wasn't part of their plans. Her mate was even more frustrated, because he was still hard and she was still excited; a cold shower wasn't very well welcomed but, in that predicament, they both needed to have a clear mind.

The Dragon Slayer sighed, passing a hand into his wild hair. "Damn," he muttered. "That was totally unexpected."

"Completely," Juvia agreed, nuzzling his left shoulder.

And they'll still have to explain everything once he wakes up. Now this was going to be real pain.

"...how do you explain to one of your fans that you're already taken? Without breaking their heart?"

* * *

 **Author's Note 1:** Hiya guys! I finally managed to update. See? See?

 **Author's Note 2:** ...I want to watch "Deadpool". *-*

 **Next Chapter:** _Lyon Vastia's friendship_.


	9. Lyon Vastia's Friendship

**Summary:** _"_ _Who makes you moan? Who makes you scream in pleasure and joy? I. Fucking. Do._ _What's mine is mine and sharing isn't an option_ _I'd even_ _have the idiocy to consider."_

 _After the Grand Magic Games, Juvia_ _Lockser_ _took time to reflect on her life – including Gray Fullbuster. Something she wouldn't have done on her own since she was always caught up in her fantasy._ _It hurt like a bitch to realize that a one-sided love would never be returned, it truly did. And moving on was even harder to do. But still, Juvia swore to do so._ _Somehow, there's a way for everything._

 **Genre:** _Drama/Friendship._

 **Disclaimer:** To say that Fairy Tail belongs to me is pure fantasy. Hiro Mashima remains the creator and has all the rights.

 **/!\ Warning: This fan-fiction has tons of smut and I won't tell when and where you'll read them in those chapters. I'm unpredictable, huh! Minors have been warned and if you're caught off guard...remember that this fan-fiction is rated M. Read the summary carefully before launching yourself on this story.**

* * *

… In which Lyon Vastia learns to accept, to befriend and move on. Like it could have been from the beginning.

* * *

 **Chapter Nine:** _Lyon Vastia's Friendship_

* * *

" _... sure he didn't hit his head or something? He's not waking up..."_

That lovely voice with this worried tone... Lyon would recognize it everywhere – it was Juvia's! So he hadn't been dreaming when he saw her naked backside into the spring, that moment really happened. The Ice Mage could feel a smile creeping up on his face, despite still 'floating in La-La-land'. Was she tending to him right now?

" _...smiling and – wait, is that a fucking_ nosebleed _? Damn it, Juvia! The guy is fantasizing about you even when he's unconscious! Out of the way, I'll crush his stupidly perfect face with –"_

" _Honey, no. You'll end up mauling him if you're angry!"_

" _And, which is the most important part in my opinion,_ fuckingcockblocked _. I'm still hard and turned on, just as much as you are right now, and seeing you still flushed and almost naked under that bathrobe is doing nothing to take care of my problem. Fate must be laughing at us, damn it. What are the odds of being interrupted by a fan-boy or a fan-girl?"_

Lyon twitched in his semi-unconscious state, recognizing the male voice at once. Was that Sting Eucliffe? And if so, what was he doing with Juvia? What the heck was he talking about?

" _We were about to have sex in a hot spring, Sting. A public place, should I remind you?"_

" _Yeah, so? We've done it before in..."_

There was a small silence, during which Lyon found himself 'unconsciously' holding his breath (as if that could ultimately save him from the merciless beating he'd get.), fretting for his life. An annoyed growl reverberated around the whole room.

" _...who the hell do you think you're fooling? RISE 'N SHINE, ICE-FOR-BRAINS!"_

Pain suddenly hit him in full force as Sting's fist collided with his cranium, jerking Lyon awake in the process; he hastily sat up while nursing the growing and painful lump on his head, his features scrunched up in pain and eyes closed. In the background, he could hear Juvia admonish the Dragon Slayer.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow," Lyon kept repeating, rubbing his head soothingly. "Did you have to hit me that hard?"

A snort. "And that's not even a quarter of the real pain damage I want to give you, but since Siren wants you to live," Sting grunted grudgingly, with a frown probably marring his face. "I have no choice but to leave you be. But we've got much to talk, stalker. So, heads up, suck it up and listen."

Once Lyon was sure he wouldn't get dizzy, he opened his eyes to look at a concerned and sheepish Juvia and a disgruntled, glowering Sting Eucliffe sitting beside each other. Lector, the red Exceed, was sitting on the Water Mage's lap and staring at him in wonder. The closeness between the woman he loved dearly and the Sabertooth mage instantly bothered the Ice Mage, who sent the lovely bluenette a confused, yet questioning look – he even tried hard not to stare at the inviting and delicious bosoms her bathrobe failed to completely cover, because he was sure that would earn him another punch and one violent nosebleed.

"Lyon-san, are you... alright?" she asked him awkwardly, biting her lips. "Y-you didn't hit your head or something?"

Before Lyon could answer, Sting stepped in. " _Please_ ," he growled, rolling his eyes. "His mind is completely clear, besides the images he's been dreaming about when he walked on us earlier. _I_ hit his head, so he's fine."

"But that doesn't make it any better, Sting," Juvia admonished, sending him a stern look before addressing the Ice Mage with a more gentle, apologetic tone. "Nonetheless, he's right: we do have to talk about what you saw in the spring."

With that being said, the atmosphere in the room instantly shifted and Lyon couldn't pretend not to know what was going on; so he sat up comfortably, facing the two companions. Sting's perceptive eyes slid toward him, inquisitive and still burning. The white-haired man may be holding himself in composure, he still could hear the pounding of his heart and Juvia's; his mate had such a big heart and the Dragon Slayer already knew she was loathe to hurt one of her friends, so she would feel very sad for a moment – and Sting wouldn't like it one bit. Her emotions were already clashing with his, making the blonde edgy.

Heartbreak had never been kind to anyone in love, and Juvia was quite the expert at this kind of fucked up situation (a certain Bora had been added to Sting's kill-list due to this, when his Siren told him about her first failure of a relationship.). So maybe she would know how to ease Lyon's own heartbreak.

Lyon cleared his throat, feeling a bit unneasy. "... I wasn't dreaming when... when I saw the two of you in the spring... was I?" he asked numbly, looking at Juvia – mainly Juvia, because she was the one he needed to hear the truth and the words from.

She glanced at Sting, who nodded solemnly at her with a considerably softened expression toward her, then turned back toward the Ice Mage. She took a breath, encouraged by the blonde who was rubbing her backside soothingly (what the _hell_...?). "You saw what you saw: Sting and I are in a relationship, I'm his mate."

"And if you want some clarifications about when you saw Siren surface in front of me, ask without fantasizing," Sting added in a matter-of-factly tone, staring at the Ice Mage without shame.

Ah. _Ah_. Lyon voiced that sound, lowering his eyes so that both fellow mages – and Exceed – wouldn't see his deeply hurt and saddened expression. He'd heard from Sherry that heartbreak was very painful when one was rejected by the object of his or her desires, but Lyon hadn't known how painful it would be and how it would feel. Now he knew.

It was like someone purposely, wickedly and viciously crushed all your hopes along with your heart. And it also makes you want to cry in sorrow and sadness. Lyon may not have known Juvia Lockser longer than his foster brother Gray, but he heard from someone at her guild – that drunken Cana, maybe? – say that she'd suffered from one nasty break up with her first boyfriend and had cried for weeks. That and the fact that she was also hated for bringing the rain wherever she went years ago. Heartbreak was a great bitch.

So that's what it truly was. A blow to your ego, your pride and, most importantly, your heart. Even if Lyon deeply believed that Gray didn't deserve Juvia, he'd been certain that he, Lyon Vastia, would be the one to make her feel loved every damn second of her life.

"'Mate'?" he repeated, his brows furrowing. His voice sounded hoarse, as if he was about to cry. "You mean, as in a life partner?"

"Something like that," Sting said, inclining his head. His arm now fully wrapped itself around Juvia's waist, pulling her to him even though she protested lightly. "Wait – scratch that, it _is_ exactly as you said. Juvia and I are bonded after I claimed her as my mate, she was fated to be mine. And there's nothing you can do about it, Lyon; your feelings for Juvia may be genuine and pure, they aren't even a blip on the radar once she became a Dragon Slayer's mate."

Lyon clenched his fists in repressed anger. "How does it work?" he asked, raising his head to meet Sting's electric blue eyes.

The blonde Dragon Slayer, unimpressed (if not, slightly stunned), raised one eyebrow at the stupidity of the question. Juvia, for her own credit, looked away in embarassment. But she still leaned in her mate's warm embrace.

"I'm fairly forty-five per cent sure that you already know the answer to that, even though you must still be hoping it's a lie," Sting stated flatly. "But oh well, you're asking for it. You do know the basics of sex, right?" He could have smirked, but inwardly rejoicing at Lyon's flushed, wide-eyed face was enough. Sting Eucliffe was still sympathetic, mind you. "C'mon, that's the same for animals, you can't be _that_ shocked. Right?"

"Err... Sting?" Lector interrupted with a slight wince and sweat-drop. Said Dragon Slayer looked down at his best friend in wonder. "Remember: Lyon-san is in love with Juvia-fairy. The fact that you're telling him details about your relationship might stir his imagination. And if his imagination is still wild..."

… _the Jack Frost-wannabe must be flashing imagined scenes of Juvia naked in his damn mind._ One particularly seething, murderous Dragon Slayer slowly turned his head toward the Lamia Scale mage, eyes flashing in impending bloodlust. "... Lyon, if you do so much as _fantasiz_ _e_ about what little nakedness you saw earlier, you'll have more than just offensive nosebleeds and fucking dreams about _my_ mate. Do you have a death wish?"

"L-Lyon-san?" Juvia tried to get his attention by calling him, worry and dread written over her features. "Are you...?"

 _Okay_? He wasn't. In fact, Lyon Vastia's mind might have shut down on one specific sentence pronounced by Sting Eucliffe – Juvia's boyfriend, mate and whatnot. Seeing as he was staring at the blonde without blinking, his eyes wide and almost bulging out of their sockets, he looked like he had gone into shock. His mouth was hanging half open, and the Ice Mage was awkwardly deaf to every voice, be it the bluenette's or her man's. And the cause of that shock? One sentence that was being replayed in his mind, over and over again.

" _You do know the basics of sex, right?"_

Lyon wasn't an idiot since he'd been introduced to sex years ago, right before meeting Juvia Lockser – his first time had been awkward and boring, and the girl wouldn't stop gushing about being devirginized by one of the hottest males in Fiore. Boring and lousy. Ever since he met the gorgeous blue-haired fairy, Lyon had been imagining many things and, he wasn't going to lie, fantasy-like situations between himself and Juvia (some were romantic at their best, others were alluring and erotic. Masturbating was a damn _pain_.). The Ice Mage was jealous of his younger brother because he had her attention, but that didn't matter anymore; what mattered now was the fact that a Dragon Slayer had swept Juvia away from him before he could even convince his beloved to give him a chance.

Fate sure had a weird way to work things out for everyone.

His last thought, before blacking out, was directed toward the blonde who had captured her heart: _"Damn that cocky, uncouth bastard."_

* * *

"Uh-oh, his brain has gone overload again!" Lector exclaimed, running to check over the white-haired man.

"Is he serious?!" Sting was bemused. He stared at the Ice Mage he had caught before he could hit his head even harder. "How hard is it to handle the truth?"

Juvia ran an agitated hand over her face, startled and weary. That really... wasn't what she expected.

* * *

Juvia propped her chin on her arms, gazing at the unconscious Ice Mage in his cot. It wouldn't be long till he woke up to whatever he'd see, which she somehow looked forward to; Lyon's sudden appearance at the hot spring threw her off, knowing his outspoken feelings toward her. Sure enough, she'd know the words to talk to him, but she was aware it wouldn't be good enough for now – Lyon's love for her may have been overboard most of the time, but Juvia was one hundred per cent sure it was genuine and pure. As pure as snow. True love and good things like Lyon Vastia in life were so hard to find.

Fate had brought her Sting Eucliffe as her life partner before she could even make Gray Fullbuster fall in love with her, and while she had been utterly crushed to erase him from her heart and mind, Juvia Lockser knew she made the right choice to accept the bond between mates – after discovering a true family within Fairy Tail, she had never been so happy in her life. She would wonder about her happiness with Sting sometimes, how is it that just seeing him made her feel so light and complete – something that Gray never managed to accomplish despite their friendship and her former love for him.

And somehow, Juvia knew deep down that it would have been the same with Lyon.

She could have loved him with all her might, she was sure of it. Lyon had never seemed repulsed by her, which was a very good point about him (Juvia couldn't count the differences between him and Gray, there were so many. And with the rift in their friendship, this was added tension that could terminate everything that was built between them.). In fact, Lyon would have been the perfect match for Juvia if it weren't for Sting. If Fate already had plans for her with another man instead of Lyon Vastia or Gray Fullbuster, and if said man was the right one for her, then who was she to fight it? You can't force someone to love you, because love was something that happens. _And Fate brought us together_ , the bluenette thought as she closed her eyes.

A mere second later, warm lips kissed the back of her neck tenderly, making her shiver in pleasure and bliss. "Not exactly what we both expected, huh?" Sting murmured against her skin, his arms wrapping themselves around her waist.

"No," Juvia answered, leaning in his embrace with a sigh. "I was hoping I could talk to him as gently as I could, but you beating me to it and marking your territory kind of...crashed everything. Couldn't you have been more subtle to him?"

He frowned. "No."

"At the very least?"

"No. That's beyond me and I'm a _very_ jealous, territorial man." Sting nuzzled her neck, gazing lazily at the unconscious Ice Mage. There was no burning look in his blue eyes this time, a sign that he had calmed down a bit. "Though I'd like to say I understand him, I'd be lying to you and myself. I've never known a girl who wasn't infatuated with me and broke my heart because she was in love with another man, so I don't know how bad heartbreak can really be." He was silent for a moment, stroking Juvia's curve on her waistline. "You told me about that Bora bastard when I asked you if you've ever been in a relationship before me, and... it pissed me off so much when you told me how he dumped you because of the rain you used to bring everywhere you went. You didn't cry when I listened to every word, but I bet you cried a lot more than your share back then..."

At that, the Water Mage opened her eyes, solemn. She did cry a lot. A lot more than whenever people would get away from her; Juvia thought that she had found someone who did try to take an interest in her despite her being unable to stop the rain, and just the thought alone had made her so happy and giddy back then. But the rain didn't stop and _never_ stopped, so Bora got bored and left her life. He walked away and never looked back to try once again to know who was Juvia Lockser. In the end, Bora was just like everybody else.

"I did," Juvia admitted, lacing her fingers with Sting's. "Bora showed me that he was just like everybody else back then – someone who didn't try to know who the former Juvia Lockser was. That hearbreak _did_ hurt a lot, but...I think I got over it with time, especially when I met Gajeel and the other members of Element Four."

"Did... Gajeel help you?" Sting tried to suppress the possessive tone in his voice, but eventually failed at that.

She smiled fondly. "Well, he and Totomaru did try to kill Bora seven years ago on an errand – don't laugh Sting, the prat fell into coma and had his back broken!" she admonished at her boyfriend, who was snickering in mirth. "Not that I really cared, but still...," she trailed off, letting her head fall on Sting's right temple.

 _Nice. But the bastard remains on my kill-list, Siren_ , Sting thought with a slight feral smirk. "Well, he must have recovered since, right?"

"I think. But I don't care, he had it coming. Anyway, my point is, I'd like to become friends with Lyon-san at the very least. Even if that's not what he truly expected from me, there's a slight chance he'd appreciate the concept of friendship with me." Juvia smiled, feeling serene. Then her smile faded a little bit. "I might have been a little harsh and dismissive toward him back when I was still infatuated with Gray – which brought me to be quite... _bitchy_. Maybe sticking with his foster brother drove me to refuse yet another friendship, like with Lucy..."

The blonde guild master thought about it for a while, then slowly nodded. "That makes sense...yeah, you might have a point, Siren." Then he frowned, remembering something Lyon and Lucy had in common. "And they both have some damn good timing with cockblocking me, which is scandalous."

" _Anyway_ ," Juvia repeated with a slight glare directed toward Sting, who just shrugged with a disgruntled expression. "If it's possible for us to become friends, just friends and drawing the limits, then this might actually work. It worked with Lucy, why wouldn't it work with Lyon-san?"

"Because the sucker is in love with my mate and I don't like it one bit? Listen, Siren," Sting sighed deeply as he positioned himself in front of Juvia, crouching and staring at her. "I've come to understand that friendship means the world to you, and I respect that. I can't control your actions or thoughts, not even your feelings, but..." He gulped, seemingly struggling with his words, and licked his dry lips. "Do you have _any_ _idea_ what it means? To be a Dragon Slayer's _mate_? You can't compare with us being lovers, it's just so much more than that; when you become a Dragon Slayer's mate, expect to be _jealously_ and _possessively_ kept for himself. Even friendships are damn hard to tolerate for me, especially when I'm not constantly with you – I _need_ to be possessive and jealous with you, Siren," he emphasized his words by nuzzling his face in Juvia's bosoms, eyes closed and breathing in her scent. Soon, her hands came to play with his hair. "I may learn to tolerate your friends through you, but that's it when it concerns what's mine. In other words, _you_. If _I_ don't draw the limits and make myself clear, then who will?"

"Your reasoning is sound," he continued, pushing the bluenette on her back so he could lie and settle between her legs. "But it's _Lyon_ I don't trust. The guy is so smitten with you it makes me sick and cringe. Makes me want to dominate you over and over just to remind you – the world and myself – who you belong to..." To emphasize his words, he gave her a slight, slow thrust.

At this, Juvia's heartbeat brutally picked up and she felt herself flush in anticipated pleasure, her breathing hitching up. _Now that was_ _hot_. Even though he already did that when they first made love, she will never be tired of listening to Sting's sex talk; it would always make her feel so giddy and shiver in pleasure. But as her body started listening to the hormones, she thought about what he just told her.

Sting had showed his possessiveness over her thousands of time already, which was later emphasized by heated, crazed sex during which he managed to make Juvia scream his name over ten times. Her Dragon Slayer's mark on her neck was the ultimate proof that he claimed her as his, and if any male was mad enough to hit on her, there would be blood; the way he behaved around her was animalistic at best, but it showed that he cared about her. A lot more than love. Sting may tolerate her male friends through her, as long as they didn't try anything opposite to friendly, but that was it. She shouldn't ask for anything else.

 _She was his. She was Sting Eucliffe's_. A friendship with Lyon may be possible, but he would have to be on his best behaviour and try to move on.

Nipping the flesh of her breast and eliciting her quiet intake of breath, Sting raised his head to hover over Juvia and smirked wolfishly at her flushed face. Then he lowered his face, drawing his lips close to hers. "Can you keep quiet?" he whispered to her, now biting her lips.

Juvia gripped his shoulders, struggling to keep herself in composure – which was hard with one of his hands already sneaking down her panties. "H-how do y-you... expect me...," she tried to say clearly, but failed as it came out as a whisper-moan.

"I'll take that as a yes," he snickered silently before capturing her lips.

* * *

"Uuuuh...," Lyon managed to utter as he clutched his throbbing head. "Damn..."

Lyon Vastia wasn't much of a drinker because he preferred to remain sober and in control of his actions, but a headache caused by something even more annoying and heartbreaking than alcohol would hurt more. He sighed ruefully, opened his bleary eyes as he struggled to sit up without feeling woozy. His bathrobe – which he didn't remember putting on since that heavenly and lovely sight in the spring – was wrinkled and loose, showing more of his skin than he'd like, and his silver hair was in disarray. But he truly didn't care about his appearance right now.

 _Juvia_ and _Sting Eucliffe_. Huh. _Who_ would have known and _who_ had seen _that_ coming? Lyon surely didn't, and the fact that another man had swept up the woman of his dreams right under his nose without him noticing made him boil – damn, jealousy was so ugly! And it wasn't just that, it was also the fact that they looked _good_ together: seeing them beside each other when they had that talk yesterday and how relaxed she had looked and behaved around him made Lyon feel like he was intruding in their space. They exulted such powerful chemistry it stunned him momentarily, he couldn't believe that Juvia fit so right in Sting's arms and not his. Not even Gray could compete – not that he actually could with that Dragon Slayer around...

 _Not even me_.

"You awake?"

Lyon jumped a little, surprised to have caught spacing out, and looked up. He almost groaned at the sight of Sting entering the room, but forced himself not to; if this was the man Juvia fell for and decided to have in her life, then he should try to accept it. For Juvia's sake and his. Plus, the blonde didn't look territorial or murderous right now: he had this solemn, serene expression he had seen once at the finale of the Grand Magic Games. Which was quite suspicious, if you asked Lyon.

"Juvia just went to get us some breakfast with Lector, so they'll be back in a bit," the blonde informed him as he took a seat on his futon.

"Hm," Lyon managed to grumble.

Sting gave him a look. "Besides, I wanted to talk to you face-to-face. About Juvia."

"...oh."

The air around them immediately shifted, becoming somehow umcomfortable and challenging for both mem; Lyon didn't bother concealing his accusing eyes and his cold attitude towards the Sabertooth guild master as he straigthened himself, but Sting ignored him royally. He kept staring intensely at the Ice Mage, as serene as ever, but it was starting to grate on his nerves.

Finally, Sting was the first to speak. "I suppose you've noticed the abomination around her neck, it's not that you can really miss it."

"Right," Lyon answered icily, before he exploded. "What the _hell_ , Sting?! What in God's name could have happened to make Juvia wear this...this horrendous _thing_?"

The blonde gritted his teeth, shuffling an agitated hand in his hair. "I didn't have much of a choice. That ordeal got out of control when I had to take action in this goddamn mess..."

"'Take action'? _'Take action'_? Well, it certainly seems like you really took action here, guild master!" Lyon spat angrily, scowling. His anger was taking over, clouding his mind and reason, but he didn't seem to care; Juvia must be suffering right now not to be able to use magic. "Weren't you the one who claimed that you wanted Sabertooth to be a respectable and dignified guild you'd be proud of? What the hell happened?"

Apparently, Lyon had struck a nerve somewhere because his eyes finally lit up in anger. " _Fullbuster_ , that's what happened four weeks ago!" Sting snapped back just as hotly, his fangs showing. "Him and his damn mouth started this whole mess when he insulted Juvia of being a whore, assuming that Laxus was screwing her, and though I was the one who wanted to maul him to death, Juvia was the one who actually snapped and attacked him before he could lay a hand on me. And he did attack back, I'll have you know!" he persisted at Lyon's shocked face. "You insult a Dragon Slayer's mate, you insult the Dragon Slayer himself, and my mate decided to protect me against the bastard she used to love so much for years. They fought, she almost broke him in half – god help me, I've never seen a woman this angry before – and _we_ had to stop her. You get it?"

Sting had to take a breath first, but he wasn't done. He needed to take it out a second time. "Blame me if you want, insult me if that makes you feel better, but I had to act as a guild master because I was just as involved in the matter. And goddamn it, I regret doing this to her – to _us_." He clenched his fists, his eyes both hard and incredibly sad at the same time. Lyon couldn't move or speak either, due to shock. "I-I-I broke her, Lyon, because my duty had to come first before the woman I love. But now I'm trying to fix us back; it won't be easy, especially now that our relationship has become public knowledge but we're both willing to do this. Your bastard of a foster brother is just as responsible for this mess as Juvia and I, I won't deny it. So fuck you and your accusations, Lyon. You don't know how she's feeling because you're not the one bonded to her – I _am_ ," he declared fiercely, his blue eyes burning.

 _I am_. It struck Lyon so much that he recoiled, his face pale and his features holding a horrified expression. But he understood now; there was still so much Sting Eucliffe needed to prove and learn, both as a guild master and a man. He may no longer look and sound like that cocky Dragon Slayer from the former Sabertooth guild, but he was still so young and inexperienced in the matter. He needed to grow and mature even more – being a guild master and a respectable man required leadership and qualities that would make him loved by his own woman and his friends and followers. He was _trying_ to be someone who would be able to protect Juvia and his friends, be it their lives, their honor and smile. Sting was _trying_.

Listening to his explanations about what transpired four weeks ago made him boil with renewed anger toward Gray. Basically, he got angry because he had first thought that Juvia was in a relationship with Laxus Dreyar, saw her cuddling and snuggling up with Sting and chose to act before thinking. Insulting a woman was bad enough, but _Juvia_? Who's only been loyal and sweet to him for years? Even Lyon had to breathe several times, because his fingers were aching to hurt Gray.

"It hurt her so much to hear something like that from his mouth, even _I_ couldn't believe it because she told me of her former love for that bastard," Sting said bitterly, once he calmed down a little. "After that dreadful collar's been tied around her neck, it's been one hell of an emotional rollercoaster; her emotions clashing with mine caused us to be in an extremely volatile mood, along with me feeling so guilty about that whole damn ordeal I'm partly responsible for." The blonde closed his eyes, grounding his teeth. "How can she still want me after that...? How can she still love me?"

It was then that Lyon finally found his tongue. "You still don't get it, do you? Do you think that love needs to be explained?"

Sting opened his eyes to look at him, inquiring. Lyon almost rolled his eyes, huffing.

"Juvia knows what duty every guild master is entitled to, and I'm fairly certain that she knows you couldn't have been partial in that matter. You've just become the leader of Sabertooth, it's such an important position and an enormous weigth on your shoulders – you're the one who will have to face the consequences of your decisions, because you're now a guild master of a whole guild and all your friends have to follow your lead. You're their _anchor_ , got it? You're one of those anchors in the history of guilds that need to be around so they wouldn't feel lost. And you proved Juvia that you can take care of her the way she wanted to be loved and taken care of – something she had always wanted from Gray. If you can give her that and she wants to give it too you as well, then it's gonna be you for life. Gray may have been the first to have her heart, but he's been blind and ignored a beautiful woman who had been dying to offer her heart and her love. Love doesn't need to be explained. So why do you think Juvia still wants you and loves you?"

It was so obvious to Lyon, who didn't need to say it out loud, but he still did so for Sting. As he clapped his hand on his shoulder, surprising both the Dragon Slayer and himself in the process – because really, that man still stole his woman right under his nose. But he was still understanding. –, the Ice Mage instantly knew he was doing the right thing.

"She _needs_ you," he told the blonde with an understanding, sad smile. "If I understand your explanation of Dragon Slayer's mate, then she is the cornerstone of your life. Did you ever tell her that you needed her too?"

Sting didn't know whether to be suspicious that Lyon seemed to be taking the news pretty well or relieved that he was taking them pretty well. But overall, his heart fluttered a bit when hearing those words. There was something about Lyon Vastia that made him so much better than Gray Fullbuster in Sting's eyes, something so mature that he overlooked due to the older Ice Mage's love for his mate. The fact that he seemed to understand that he had to back off and move on was a plus in his book.

 _He truly is better than Gray_ , Sting thought with a small smile.

"Yeah, I do need her," the guild master confessed softly. "As long as there's breath in my lungs and life in my body."

"Then everything is gonna be alright," Lyon finished in a lighter tone.

"Well, if you're able to move on and strike a friendship with Juvia – a real _friendship_ , that's it –, I might consider you as a friend."

Lyon didn't need to be told twice and he nodded, appreciative. "I'd like that. As long as you take care of Juvia."

* * *

Behind the doors stood a smiling Water Mage, who heard almost everything between the two men. She was holding four trays breakfast in both hands (never mind how she could do that, the woman was multitasking.) and seemed to force herself not to jump into her man's arms and tell him how much she loved the way he handled things with Lyon.

On her head lay Lector, who was smiling as well. "Looks like Sting and Lyon might be able to get along, after all," he remarked lowly, paws up in the air.

"I couldn't have asked for something better," Juvia gushed before she stepped inside the room, balancing the trays together like the pro she was.

* * *

"You're leaving? Are you sure?" Juvia asked later in the evening, surprised. Then her expression fell. "But you just came here..."

Lyon shook his head, smiling at the trio. "My business here was mainly about you and your well-being, I was worried. But now that I'm sure you're in good hands with Sting, Lector and your master," He gave the blonde a meaningful look, which was returned with a nod and a smirk. "I think I've got nothing to worry about anymore. I'm going back to Lamia Scale."

"Well, beside the little show Siren unvoluntarily bestowed you in the spring, you didn't really enjoy your time in Spa Town Hosenka," Sting remarked as he slung an arm on Juvia's shoulder. He raised an eyebrow at the Ice Mage. "You've got to do it back home before taking missions if you want to leave in a good mood."

Lyon laughed lightly, even if it looked a bit forced. "Don't worry, there are various ways to relax. But for now, I've got a...'wound' to heal and that's gonna take some time." When he said that, the light in his eyes faded a little bit. Nonetheless, the silver-haired man refused to cry in front of such happiness. Heartbreak was an ugly bitch, but if there was a way to get over it, then there was a way for everything. Readjusting his bag on his shoulder, he smiled down at the pouting bluenette. "Juvia, please don't feel bad about me. You can't say it's your fault if I end up moving on with a broken heart. It happens."

It seemed to aggravate the situation, considering the tears gathering in her lovely blue eyes. "But –"

"No buts." Lyon was firm to her this time, his expression just a little bit severe. But then it softened, shifting to a slight smile. "It _happens_."

Luckily, she seemed to have gotten the picture and settled for a small smile – encouraged by Sting, who was secretly pinching her cheek. She nodded with a sigh. "Alright, then," she said, putting a hand on Lyon's shoulder. "You take care of you, now. Please?"

Flushing, Lyon blurted out one sentence that triggered Sting's glare. "Anything you want, my – _sorry_!" he quickly corrected himself, raising both hands in defense in front of one annoyed Dragon Slayer and a confused Water Mage. "She's just so..."

" _That's_ gonna be a damn problem if you wish to move on, Lyon," he growled, scowling. "Don't finish that sentence if you want to live and go back home in one piece."

"Hehe...I better get going," the Ice Mage uttered uneasily, backing off while still facing the couple. He sent one last smile, waving. "See you soon, Juvia! Sting! Have a lovely holiday up the mountains!"

And then he was off, merging into the crowd. Juvia didn't really know how to feel about Lyon; the Ice Mage was such a wonderful person now that she got to know him after the air had been cleared between them, and knowing that he was going home sooner than he must have expected with a broken heart due to her being in a relationship with Sting Eucliffe bothered her. He was so unlike Gray – he was warm and caring where Gray remained cold and distant, he was a bright light whereas the other was so dark.

But her own light, brighter and burning, was the one who embraced her every second of her life. Juvia circled Sting's waist with her arm, leaning into his warm embrace. She was smiling peacefully.

"It happens," she murmured softly, knowing he would hear her.

He did. "Hmm-hmm. It _happens_ , Siren," he repeated before kissing the top of her head. "At least you can call him your friend now. No more swooning or shit coming from him."

"Yeah," she giggled. Then she raised her head, staring at him. "What were you two talking about before I came back with breakfast?" she asked with a sweet smile. "You and Lyon were...getting along."

Sting raised an amused brow, walking back towards Master Zou's home in arms with Juvia. "What? I thought you already knew since you were eavesdropping, you little minx," he lightly admonished, going for the kill and tickling his girlfriend at her waist.

The bluenette cried out, laughing hard and squirming in his arms. " _I was curious_!" she squealed between peals of laughter.

"You're merciless, Sting," Lector sighed, shaking his head as he flew over their heads. "And you're wondering why people find you excessively terrifying and irritable when Juvia isn't around. Sheesh."

The trio walked back home laughing and smiling, a new light shining in their eyes – a sharp contrast between now and back then, when both mages were distraught and still trying to work things out together. Having a talk with Lyon Vastia actually turned out to be a better thing than he expected; as he looked back at Juvia's glowing, beaming face, he realized that as long as he could make that happy, loving smile appear on her face and make it permanent, Sting knew she'd remain by his side. She would and she will. As long as they loved each other.

Once they got back home, they were greeted by the sight of Master Zou watering the large collection of bonsais in his garden – Hoenn was God knows where, surely doing the last errands since they were due to leave in a few hours to the snowy mountains. The Master Water Mage took his time to address the lovebirds, but the light tone he used to speak was a sign that he was in a good mood.

"The sounds of your heartbeats are quite peaceful," he remarked as he switched to another bonsai. "And you both sound happy. I take it you've had quite a good time outside the house?"

It was an elated Juvia who answered, still glowing and beaming. "Yes, Master!" she exclaimed. "The hot spring was definitely useful this time, because we didn't have to – _mmmh_!"

"As Siren was saying," Sting continued while holding his Water Mage against his chest, smirking like a little devil. She, with the best glare she could summon, tried to get his hand off her mouth, but to no avail. "the hot spring was useful because we were lucky to run into one of her _suitors_ ," he practically growled the word, eyes flashing for one second before becoming shiny and serene once again. "who accepted to move on after discovering our relationship. We've also had a good talk and parted ways peacefully, though I never thought I would end up appreciating this guy..."

Master Zou's corner of his lips quirked. "Interesting," he mused. "Was it Lyon Vastia?"

"How did you... _how_?" Sting was stunned, blinking at the master Water Mage.

" _Hoommmm_...," was Juvia's muffled answer, who looked up at her man with exasperation.

The older man laughed silently, switching to another bonsai. "You should know by now that Hoenn has a very vast network. Thus, he knows about everything there is to know about Juvia's life before and after you came, Sting. It's _almost_ terrifying, now that I think about it." He didn't even need to lift his head to know that the Dragon Slayer had blanched. "...I'm pretty sure he's dug up some solid background on you ever since you started dating Juvia. Be careful, Sting."

The blonde gritted his teeth and pinched the bridge of his nose, instantly annoyed. What did he do to deserve this? When he thought he was going to get some backlash for having snatched one of the hottest girls in Fairy Tail and being overjoyed to pubicly live his romance with Juvia, here was one of her relatives who was intent on becoming a serious threat to their privacy. _That two-coloured freak really likes messing with people_ , he thought darkly as he dragged his mate toward their room, Lector in tow.

Releasing his Water Mage, the blonde let out an annoyed growl and balled his fists. "What's _wrong_ with that butler of his?" he barked, scowling. "I knew I should have cracked his spine in pieces the second he told me he peeped on us – wait, it's not too late to do that. The bastard is coming with us to the mountains, so there'll be opportunities to plot his 'accidental' death!"

Juvia, who was now sitting comfortably on her futon, sighed tiredly. "Like that is actually going to work," she murmured, braiding her cerulean hair. Her dark blue eyes looked at her fuming boyfriend, who had yet to settle down. "You did try to maim him at the train station, all the way to the house, and you didn't even give him a scratch. He's way too nimble and elusive, Sting."

"And I'm freaking endurant," the blonde countered, shrugging off his jacket and lying down beside the bluenette. He nestled his head behind his hands, eyes narrowing in annoyance. "I can fight all day if I want to, and that butler..." He scoffed. "Tch. Juvia, is he even a _real_ butler despite all those tattoos?"

Upon hearing the question, she paused in her braiding and thought about it. The likelihood of Hoenn being something else than just a butler was damn high, she knew that – even their neighbors must be wondering if the man truly was a butler. There had always been something so mysterious about Hoenn, but he would never talk about it; Juvia had tried to ask him where he was from, if he had family waiting for him or someone. His answer?

" _Funny you're asking, Lil' Blue."_

And that was it. Nothing else, he had walked away from her with a strange smile on his face. Up to this day, Juvia still hadn't gotten a good answer from him.

"Actually," she said, lying down onto Sting's stomach and supporting her head with her hands. "I know almost next to nothing about Hoenn, Sting. He's a walking mystery to me. Master Zou might know something about him, but wouldn't tell."

Sting frowned. "Weird," he muttered, his fingers stroking Juvia's backside slowly. "You think they'd be open to each other since he's been his butler and friend for years...and if he's got such a solid network all around Fiore, that means he must know _a lot_ of things about _a lot_ of people." His frown deepened, showing displeasure. "That man is...and you're saying I can't even touch him?" he asked Juvia exasperatedly, catching her gaze.

"If you can predict his moves, tell me and I will gladly join you in the beating," the bluenette chirped, smiling brightly at him.

"...yeah, that's a skill I've, unfortunately, never been gifted with."

"Then, that's going to be difficult."

Sting groaned once again, throwing a pillow at his mate, who only laughed.

* * *

 _Several hours later_...

"Coats?" Juvia called.

"Check," Lector responded.

"Scarves?"

"Yep," Sting nodded.

"Gloves?"

"Check."

"Boots?"

"Right here, Siren."

"Food? Water? Supplies I haven't prepared?"

"We checked three times, Juvia. We've got everything."

Juvia giggled, bouncing excitedly on her spot. She was so looking forward to going back to the house she, Master Zou and Hoenn used to train in the mountains – this was one of the places she spent two years learning to use her Water magic, so she had created so many good memories of that place.

Sting carried their bags outside, where their carriage was waiting to get them to the snowy mountains, then came seconds later to steady his overexcited girlfriend by the hips. He looked amused.

"I really should monitor your dose of sugary beverages, it's becoming a little bit terrifying," Sting joked, holding the bluenette against him. "Haven't seen or felt you this happy in a long time, Siren."

Her eyes were shining when she smiled brightly at him. "Yeah...the first four weeks of my punishment finally went by, so we get to be together without anyone complaining. And there's nobody to piss us off since we'll be out of reach for some time."

"'Nobody'? Really, Lil' Blue?" the butler mused with a teasing smirk.

She turned toward him, glaring. "Don't give any reason to kill you, Hoenn!" she hollered, pointing accusingly at him.

The older man went on his way, laughing his head off as he went to charge the carriage. Sting rolled his eyes, exasperated, but there was a smile tugging at his mouth.

 _This is gonna be fun._

* * *

 **Author's Note 1:** I never thought I would be this late... well, better late than never, huh? At least, you've got an update! Oh, have you seen _Civil War_? I LOVED **BLACK** **PANTHER**! Still need to watch _The Jungle Book_ , _X-Men: Apocalypse_... still, I'm kind of disappointed in Captain America. I mean, what the fuck was his plan? Governments want the Winter Soldier dead and how did he plan on helping his friend? Hiding him? He can't. He blew his cover with Black Widow by revealing all those secrets back in _The Winter Soldier_.

 **Author's Note 2:** And really, Steve...why are you fighting with Tony? Two on one? So unfair. You knew the Winter Soldier – a.k.a your best friend – killed Tony's parents, yet you won't allow Tony to hurt Bucky? He may be your friend, but you know he committed all those crimes. Brainwashed or not. And that's how you repay the man who made you who you are today?

 **Next Chapter:** _Snow & Fevers_.


End file.
